Indecision
by Angelikyte Alexiel
Summary: Kagome cares deeply for Inuyasha, but the strange nightmares she's been having trouble her greatly. Will she ever confess her feelings to Inuyasha?
1. Kagome's Nightmare

Indecision

Chapter One: Kagome's Nightmare

Disclaimer: I did not create any of the characters in this story

Kagome tossed and turned. She was having trouble sleeping again. For the past week now, she had been having terrible dreams. But, she refused to tell anyone. She didn't know why she was having these dreams; rather, _a dream_. As the sweat collected on her furrowed brow, she continued to toss and turn.

0000Kagome's Dream0000

Kagome and Inuyasha sat by a campfire. As she looked up at the bright stars, she smiled to herself.

" It's a nice night, don't you think, Inuyasha?" she asked him.

Inuyasha looked up into the night's sky as well. " I guess so." he replied.

Kagome looked at him. " Is something wrong?" she asked, " You seem a little off..." She looked around and noticed that everyone else was asleep. Then, she looked back at him.

The hanyou looked away. " It's nothing..." he replied.

" Inuyasha?" she asked, worried. '_This isn't like him_...' she thought.

Suddenly, he got up. " I know, Kagome." he said quietly.

She rose. " Know what?!" she asked nervously.

" I know about you, Kagome. I know...how you feel..." he said thoughtfully.

Kagome froze. " What?!" she said softly, panicked. '_But, how?_'

" Kagome..." he said again. She looked him in the eye, afraid.

" Yeah?" she asked meekly.

He walked up to her, and took her hands into his. " Tell me..." he said, and she could almost sense him being gentle. It made her feel a slight rush, and her heart pace quickened.

" Inuyasha..." she said quietly.

" Yes?" he asked.

" I-I'm in love with you..." she said, almost in a whisper.

He paused for a moment. Then, he leaned closer. He almost kissed her when, suddenly, he pulled away. Kagome sensed something was wrong.

" How can you?" he asked.

" What?" she asked, embarrassed.

Suddenly, his eyes began to glow red. " How can you love me if I can kill you?" He started to grin wickedly.

Kagome stepped back. " What is wrong with you?!" she asked, panicked.

He stepped toward her. " I could kill you, right here, right now. I want Kikyo back, not you..."

" Stop it, Inuyasha!" she cried, prepared to run.

" Not until you're dead." he replied, the wicked grin covering his face. " If I kill you, then Kikyo will be brought back."

" Sit!" she commanded, but the command failed. She was frozen in shock and disbelief. _' What?! It didn't work?!'_

He cackled. " I've been waiting for this chance for so long..." he said sinisterly. " I never loved you, Kagome! You're just a human! What made you think I could ever be in love with you?!"

" _Stop it_!!!" she plead with him, feeling hurt at the sound of his words. But, her plea fell on deaf ears. She soon began to run.

" You know you can't escape!" he shouted, chasing her.

Kagome ignored this obvious fact, and continued running. Soon, though, he caught up to her, and pounced on her.

They both fell to the ground. Kagome saw him raise his claws high in the air above her, and-

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Kagome shot up from her sleeping bag, panting. She looked at everyone else that was around the campfire, fast asleep. A quick scan made her realize that Inuyasha wasn't in the group, either. She sighed.

" I wish these dreams would stop." she said aloud, in a faint voice. " I wish I wasn't so cursed...why am I having this bad dream, anyway?" She looked up into the sky, looking at the stars. Suddenly, she looked over at the treetops, and saw him. He looked so calm, he loked like he was at peace up in those trees. She stared at him. His white hair fell over his shoulders, and he sat in the tree in such a carefree manner, almost as if he could never fall. She faintly smiled at the sight of him.

' _I wonder what he's thinking about_?' she thought. Suddenly, she remembered, and sighed. '_Oh, yeah_...' she reminded herself sadly.

_'He's thinking about Kikyo...'_

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Inuyasha sat up high on his perch, staring out into the night. '_Kikyo_....' he thought, '_Where are you now? It's been so long_...' He sighed, looking down. Suddenly, he noticed Kagome was awake. '_Kagome? Why is she awake?_' he thought, puzzled. Then, he saw her get up, and start to walk off. _'Where does she think she's going? It's dangerous in these woods at night!'_ He made his decision to follow her, and quietly made his way across the treetops.

As he followed her, he thought about her. _'I've seen her waking up in the middle of the night a lot lately. What's wrong with her?'_ Suddenly, he saw her stopped under a giant tree, and she started crying. He suddenly felt sorry for her. When he realized this, he growled at himself. _'Hey, why do I care, anyway?! It's not like I like her or anything...'_ That thought alone made his face turn pinkish. He froze for a moment. Suddenly, he heard her speak.

" **SIT!**"

He was instantly slammed into the ground. He growled. '_Damn curse_!' he thought, '_This is the last time I go following Kagome at night_!'

Kagome stood over the hole in the ground that Inuyasha lay in, paralyzed. " What were you doing following me?" she asked. " I can't go on a walk alone without you hovering over me!"

After a moment, he rose. " Come on, Kagome!" he yelled. " Do you have any idea how dangerous this place can get at night?! You can't just go wandering around alone!"

Kagome softened a little. " Inuyasha..." she said, " Were you worried about me?"

The hanyou crossed his arms and looked away. " No!" he replied, " I mean, well, I still need your help finding the jewel shards, you know. I can't just let you run off like this!"

Kagome groaned. " I should have known!" she yelled, crossing her arms as well. " You don't care about anyone! No one execpt for yourself!" she paused. " And Kikyo." she added icily.

Inuyasha froze. He didn't like the sound of Kagome's voice when she said that. "Hn?!" He looked at her, a bit worried now. He saw tears in her eyes, but she turned away angrily after he saw. " Kagome-" he started, but she interrupted him.

" You know what?" she said, ready to start yelling again. She paused slightly, then calmed down. " I don't care...it's none of my buisiness, Inuyasha." She walked back to the campsite.

Inuyasha stood frozen, confused. _'What's her problem?!' _he thought to himself, _'Why is she acting so weird?!'_ Suddenly, he snapped to his senses, and lept to the tree tops once again. He hurried back to the campsite as well, returning to his perch. He soon fell asleep.

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The next morning, Shippo was the first to rise. He rubbed his eyes, and jumped on Kagome.

" Kagome!" he said cheerfully, " It's morning! Wake up!"

Kagome sat up, and yawned. She looked down at the little fox child in her lap, and grinned. " Good morning, Shippo!" she said, almost as cheerfully. " Did you sleep okay?"

Shippo smiled. " Yeah!" he replied, " I had a great dream, too! I dreamt I was really big, fighting all these demons! I was so powerful, too! You should have seen it!"

Kagome laughed, but inside, she felt sick. _'I don't want to think about dreams,_' she thought uneasily, _'After last night...'_ She shuddered slightly as she remembered the reoccuring nightmare. She also thought of what happened in the wood. She felt bad for saying the things she did to Inuyasha, even if they were true. She just didn't want to think about it.

" Kagome?" Shippo asked.

"Hn?" She looked down at him. He had a perplexed look on his face.

" Are you okay?" he asked, puzzled.

She nodded. Suddenly, Moroku, Sango, and Kilala woke up, and came up to them.

" Good morning, Kagome!" Sango said.

Kagome smiled. " Good morning, you guys!" she replied. " Anyone ready for breakfast?"

The gang replied with cheers and mmm-hmms. She laughed.

" Okay!" she replied.

As she was setting everything up, she noticed something. " Hey, you guys, is Inuyasha awake yet?" she asked. " He's usually up by now..."

" Oh, I think I saw him go into the woods." Sango replied.

Kagome looked up. " What?!" she exclaimed. " How long ago?"

Sango only shrugged, and Kagome groaned. She looked down at what she was making, thinking to herself, _'I hope he isn't still mad about what I said! Oh, no, I must've really screwed things up this time!'_ Suddenly, she looked up, only to see the gang staring at her.

" What? What did I do?!" she asked nervously, standing up.

" Is something bothering you, Kagome?" Shippo asked, concerned.

She stomped her foot, replying, " I'm fine! It's not like I'm worried about Inuyasha or anything; so you can stop staring now!" With that, an aggrivated Kagome walked off into the woods.

Sango looked at Moroku, concerned. " Is she going to be okay?" she asked.

" Why do you ask?" he replied.

Sango shrugged. " You're just acting like this is an everyday thing." she said. " I didn't know if I was missing out on something or what!"

Moroku shook his head. " This happens pretty often," he replied, " Though, it seems to be happening more often lately. I think Kagome is troubled."

Sango was even more worried now. " Troubled?" she asked.

Moroku nodded. " I woke up last night, and saw her in a troubled sleep. I fear she has demons of some sort in her dreams..."

" Are you sure that's it?" she asked. " After all, it's somewhat obvious that she cares for Inuyasha. Maybe she's having dreams of rejection?"

" Ah, yes," he replied, " That is a reasonable suggestion. Perhaps one of us should go talk to Kagome, and see what is troubling her."

Sango nodded. " Good idea." she replied.

Moroku held a hand up to his heart. " I feel it is my duty to comfort Kagome by any means neccesary!" He started to march into the forest, but Sango hit him hard on the head.

" Forget that!" she said, " This is a girl thing. Besides," she added, " We all know what your idea of 'comfort' is!" With that, Sango walked into the wood, searching for Kagome.

Moroku sighed. " Well...one thing has been settled...but who's going to tend the food cooking over the fire?" He sighed. " Guess this is the payback I get for telling all those inn keepers that there were luminous dark clouds overhead."

Shippo came up to the campfire. " Forget it, Moroku!" he said, " You'll probably burn our food! I'll make breakfast before you hurt yourself."

" Ah, thank you, Shippo." Moroku replied, sitting back as the child began cooking.

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Deep in the wood, Kagome stopped at a felled tree. She sat down on it, resting for a moment.

_' Why was everyone staring at me?'_ she thought, still a bit irritated. _' I must be having a bad day already!'_

Suddenly, she heard a noise. _' What was that?!'_ she thought, gasping. She turned around quickly, and came face to face with...

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Author's Note: This is my first Inuyasha fic! Hooray for me, right? How did I do? The first few chapters probably will be horrible, but it's all in trying to jumpstart the creative process, so, hopefully I'll get better at this. R&R me please, but go easy on me! Later, Trin


	2. Unknown Strike

Indecision

Chapter Two: Unknown Strike

Disclaimer: I didn't create Kagome or Inuyasha, or ANYONE!!! 8cries8

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Kagome found herself face to face with Sango. Embarrassed for being so terrified, she turned away. " Oh, Sango!" she said, trying not to get angry with her friend. _' Why should I be angry with Sango, anyway?_' she asked herself, _' It's not like she was trying to scare me or anything...'_

" Kagome?" Sango asked, sitting down next to her. " Is everything okay? You rushed off kind of fast."

Kagome sighed. " It's nothing." she replied.

Sango recognized the look in Kagome's eyes. " Yes, it is. You can tell me!"

Kagome shook her head. " I don't feel like talking right now." She looked up and her, and smiled weakly. " I'm sorry, I know you're trying to be nice. I juts don't want to talk about it right now."

Sango stood. _" I had better not pressure her about it..._' " Okay, then, can we go back to the campsite for breakfast?"

Kagome rose. " Okay!" she replied, walking back.

As they walked, Kagome thought she heard a noise. _' It's probably Inuyasha.' _she thought, dismissing the strange feeling in her stomach. But, the closer they got to camp, the worse the feeling got. She stopped walking. So did Sango.

" Sango..." Kagome started.

" Do you have one of those..." Sango continued.

" Feelings that we are being followed?" they both finished, slowly turning.

When they turned, their first impression was that their ears were decieving them. But, Sango carefully scanned the brush around their area, and noticed shining eyes.

" Kagome, it's a pack of wolves!" she quietly exclaimed. She knew the wolves had a keen sense of hearing, but she prayed that for once, they wouldn't hear what she was saying.

Suddenly, the pack emerged from the brush, snarling at the girls. Sango grabbed her boomerang, and took a fighting stance. Kagome went to reach for her bow and quiver, but realized that she had left them at camp. _' Oh, great!'_ she thought, _' Now what?!'_

Sango saw Kagome reach for her weapon from the corner of her eye, and soon recognized her dilemma. " Just stay close to me, Kagome!" she insisted. " A few wolf demons aren't something I can't handle!" She threw her boomerang into the middle of the pack. Slaying a few wolves, it returned to her. But, there were still several to go, and they were beginning to close in.

_' What are we going to do now?!'_ Kagome thought, worried. _' It wouldn't bother me so much if I hadn't forgotten my things...or if Inuyasha were here...'_

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Sango's warning: " Kagome, _look out_!!!"

Kagome turned in time to see a wolf snapping at her ankles. She jumped up in the air, but soon laughed at herself for her stupidity.

_' What good does that do? I'll only land back on the ground, and the wolf will get me anyway.'_

She landed on the ground, and was soon to be proved wrong. A familiar voice called out to them.

" Sango, Kagome!" Moroku cried out, " I suggest you find something secure to hold on to. I am going to unleash the wind tunnel!"

The two ran to find something sturdy to hold. Sango found a large boulder, and she and Kagome hid behind it. They waited patiently, hearing the wind tunnel opening. Yelps went though the air as the demons disappeared.

Moroku soon closed it up again. " That takes care of that." he replied. Then, raising his voice slightly, he added, " Ladies, it is safe to come out now."

The girls came from behind the rock, relieved. " I was worried we would never get out of that!" Kagome replied, " How did you know, Moroku?"

Moroku smiled proudly. " I sensed evil nearby," he replied, " and since you two ladies were unescorted out in the woods, I feared the worst..."

" Yeah, right!" a voice replied sarcastically. " Like you thought of their safety the entire time! You perverted monk." Inuyasha appeared, and Kagome felt her face grow warm. _' Stop it!'_ she thought nervously.

Sango looked at Inuyasha dully. " Well, about time you got here!" she replied, " If Moroku hadn't come when he did, Kagome and I would be dog chow!"

Inuyasha stepped back. _' Damn!'_ he thought. _' I can't believe I couldn't smell those wolves! It isn't even close to the night of the new moon yet!'_ He looked at Kagome, who was staring at her feet.

" Hn." he replied. " I knew Moroku was coming, so I thought I'd step aside for once. Can't a guy get a break around here?!"

" And what if my wind tunnel was rendered useless?" Moroku replied. " Then what? You might not have realized it until it was too late."

Inuyasha balled up a fist. " I should render **you** useless!" he threatened.

" Stop it!" Kagome said. Everyone stopped, and looked at her. She did her best to smile. " Let's just go and have breakfast, okay?"

" Hn." Inuyasha scoffed, and Moroku walked ahead of everyone. " Sounds good to me." he replied happily, walking back. Sango followed close behind.

" Coming?" Kagome asked meekly, following her.

" Yeah..." Inuyasha replied, walking. He had lept across treetops all night, he would at least wait until after breakfast to continue.

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When the last bite of food was gone, everyone sat back, content. Inuyasha sat in his usual position, legs crossed, while Kagome sat japanese style, sipping her tea. Sango sat comfortably, looking up at the fluffy, white clouds in the sky, while Moroku smiled at her. Kilala was playing happily in the grass, and Shippo leaned back, sighing deeply.

" Am I good, or what?" he asked proudly.

He was answered by a round of mmm-hmms and nods. His cooking had obviously gone well with the gang; they were all full.

" You really know how to cook, Shippo!" Kagome said happily.

" Thank you, Kagome!" he replied. He stood up, and put his hand on his heart. " Someday, I will become a legend! The world's greatest chef AND demon slayer!"

Inuyasha scoffed. " Hn. You take care of the cooking; leave the demons to me!"

Kagome giggled. _' He's too proud.'_

Inuyasha glared at Kagome. " What's so funny, Kagome?" he asked.

Kagome waved a hand at him, trying to dismiss it. " It's nothing." she insisted.

" Hn." he stared out into the horizon. Kagome instantly recognized the look, and sighed.

_' He's thinking about her again.'_ she thought.

Sango looked at her, noticing the same look, and Moroku was beginning to understand as well. _'Ah,'_ he thought knowingly, _' **Now** I see.'_

Sango stood up. " Kilala, would you like to go for a walk?" she asked her pet.

Kilala ran up to her, and mewed. " Okay!" Sango said, waving to everyone else. " We'll be back in a little bit, we're just going to explore a little."

" Hey, don't wander off to far!" Inuyasha scolded, " I want to get to the other edge of these woods by nightfall. We have a long walk ahead of us!"

" Don't worry, we won't!" she shouted back. She and Kilala disappeared into the trees for a while.

Kagome sat back, and continued to sip her tea. " Inuyasha?" she asked, " Where are we headed?"

" Wherever there are jewel fragments!" he replied, " You should have figured that out by now!"

Kagome sighed. " Oh, yeah, right."

Moroku looked back and forth between the two. _'Strange...'_ he thought. Suddenly, he noticed Inuyasha get up.

" Where are you going?!" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha turned around and gave her a look. " What, now I can't leave to be by myself without being interrigated?!" he asked, annoyed.

Kagome stood. " Well, it would be nice to know that you're somewhere close by for once!" she replied. " If I had known where you went this morning, maybe Sango and I wouldn't have been attacked!"

" Hey, don't go blaming me!" he shot at her, " It's not like I told you to come find me!"

" Who said I didn't want to find you myself?!" she shot back. When she realized what she said, she gasped. _' Oh, great! Nice going, Kagome!'_

_' She wanted to look for me?'_ he thought to himself, puzzled. _' ...Why?_' " And why would you want to do something like that?" he asked sarcastically.

Kagome froze; but only for a brief moment. " Why would you want to know?!" she asked angrily, her face red with embarrassment.

_'Gyah!'_ Inuyasha panicked. He crossed his arms, and turned away from her. " I don't." he replied, " I don't want to know, and I don't care."

The words stung Kagome. They could have been worse, but it seemed bitter enough. Tears burned her eyes. " Is that really how you feel?!" she asked, hurt.

Inuyasha turned to face her. " Kagome," he said, upset, " I didn't mean it _that_ way!"

It was Kagome's turn to look away. " Then why did you say it?" she asked.

The hanyou was left speechless. He had no idea what to say to that. He ignored the monk's eager eyes that were boring a hole in him, anticipating the next move.

Kagome beat him to the punch. Sighing, she said, " I'm going out." She started walking out in the woods.

" Kagome, wait!" Inuyasha called.

" Sit!" she said, and the poor hanyou was slammed into the ground once again, face first. As she walked away, he grumbled to himself, _' That's the thanks I get for...'_

" Inuyasha." Moroku interrupted. " Care for some advice?"

He scoffed. " Like I want or need advice from _you_!" he replied.

" Next time that happens," he replied, " You might not want to follow her. She has the advantage."

" Yeah, yeah." he said, getting up.

Shippo, whom has been sitting in a treetop, shook his head teasingly. " I definitely don't wanna grow up now!" he laughed, leaning back against the trunk.

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Sango and Kilala were walking through the woods, enjoying the plants. Sango looked at the trees, and smiled. Kilala mewed, and she smiled at her.

" Are the trees not wonderful, Kilala?" she asked cheerfully. Kilala mewed again.

Sango chuckled, and looked up. What she saw changed the smile on her face to a sulk. " What are _you_ doing here?" she asked.

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Author's Note: I want to thank my first R&Rer: animefanatic16, thanks so much for the review! I hope this story turns out okay. SYAS!!! Trin


	3. Being Followed

Indecision

Chapter Three: Being Followed

Disclaimer: Inuyasha, Kagome, and others are property of their respected creator (Rumiko Takahashi), not me!

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Sango glared at Moroku, whom had snuck up behind her. " What are _you_ doing here?" she asked, " I can not even take a walk by myself?!"

" I thought you might like some company," he replied. " Besides, these woods _are_ dangerous, as Inuyasha said, and I would hate to see something terrible happen to you."

Sango sniffed at him. " Hn! Well, I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" she replied. It wasn't that she was angry with him, she just didn't relish the fact that he had caught her offguard.

Moroku sighed. " Well, then, would you mind if I joined you for the company?" he asked innocently, " I personally enjoy walking with someone, especially someone as lovely as yourself."

Sango noticed the usual tone. " Fine," she sighed, " But if you try anything funny, I promise you that staff will be for more than just looks."

Moroku sweat-dropped. " Okay, I promise!" he replied nervously. Sango was strong; he was certain she would live up to her promise.

Sango started walking, but stopped for a moment. " Oh, and Moroku?" she added, " You know I am only teasing you."

Moroku seemed puzzled. " Huh?" he asked weakly, and she laughed, walking ahead of him.

Kilala happily pranced through the woods, close behind.

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Kagome had walked into the woods, but soon decided she would much rather sit by the river. So, she turned around and walked down to the river. She sat down by the clear water, and smiled as she saw a fish swim down it. _" It's such a nice day today! I wonder what Sango and Moroku are doing? And where did Shippo go?"_ She sighed to herself. _" Well, I guess I should make myself useful...I wonder if I can find any herbs here? I should look around..."_ So, getting up again, she followed alongside the water.

As she walked, she thought about Inuyasha. _" He was acting awfully strange earlier..._" she thought. _" Why was he so nervous? He was acting almost like he cared about me...Hey! Like that would ever happen!"_ She blushed, furious at herself for even coming up with such a preposterous thought. Suddenly, she noticed an herb. She grinned. " I can use this!" she exclaimed happily. She knelt down on the ground, plucking the plant from the soil, and putting it in her bag. She stood again, but sensed something was wrong. She had the same uneasy feeling she had in the woods earlier. " Huh?" she said quietly, looking around carefully. She didn't see anything, but, just to be safe, she decided to walk back to camp.

She never noticed the pair of eyes following her once more.

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When Kagome returned to camp, she saw that everyone else had the same idea she had. They were all packing up their belongings. Shippo and Kilala were carrying pails of water to put out the morning's campfire, while Sango and Moroku were packing the cooking equipment. Inuyasha was rolling up the sleeping bags. When he had noticed Kagome's scent, he looked up. " About time you got here!" he scoffed. " We might have left without you if you hadn't hurried up!"

" Sorry about that!" Kagome replied, " I was just looking for some herbs before we left. Is everything ready?"

" Almost, Kagome!" Shippo replied, pouring the last pail of water on the ash pile.

Moroku stood up. " I think that is the last of it." he sighed, picking up his pack from the ground.

" Yeah!" Sango agreed, picking up her pack. " Ready to go?"

" Yeah." Inuyasha replied, and they began walking into the woods once again.

As they walked, Kagome began feeling that uneasy feeling in her stomach again. _" Now what?_" she thought, _" Why am I feeling so weird?"_ She stopped walking for a moment, and looked behind her. She saw nothing; but the uneasiness wouldn't go away. She sighed. _" What's going on?"_ she thought, worried. She started walking again, trying to ignore it.

Sango noticed Kagome wasn't feeling right. " What is it, Kagome?" she asked.

Moroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kilala all stopped walking. " Are you okay, Kagome?" Shippo asked.

" Is something wrong?" Moroku asked.

" I just have this...weird feeling..." Kagome replied slowly, " Like we're being followed..."

" You mean like earlier." Sango added knowingly. When Kagome nodded, she looked around, searching for anything out of place. After a moment, she sighed. " I don't see anything..." she said.

_" Huh?!"_ Inuyasha thought. " Wait a minute..." he said, " I think Kagome's right; I smell something."

Shippo looked around nervously, and Kilala growled. Moroku patiently waited, as did Sango.

" What do you smell, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha sniffed the air. " Wolf..." he growled.

Sure enough, a wolf was hiding in nearby brush, following them. It sensed danger, however, and ran off.

Inuyasha scoffed. " Ran away without a fight." he muttered, walking ahead again. " Come on! We haven't got all day!"

Kagome sighed. _" Why do we keep running into wolf demons?"_ she thought. _" What does it mean??"_ She followed Inuyasha closely, with Sango and Moroku close behind. Shippo ran up beside her, and marched happily.

" That wolf demon was nothing but a big baby!" he exclaimed, " You don't hafta be worried, Kagome!"

Kagome grinned. " Yeah," she agreed, " You're right, Shippo!"

Sango frowned. " Do not be so sure," she replied, " It is not like wolves to wander alone. I am certain that the wolf pack is nearby. We should keep on guard, just to be safe."

Moroku nodded. " I agree," he replied. He noticed Kagome's concern, and quickly added, " Though you do not need to worry, Kagome. A few wolves are an easy feat."

Kagome reached back, touching the bow and quiver she carried on her back. _" Making sure I remembered them this time!_" she thought, _" I would be helpless without them!"_

Inuyasha glanced back at her, noticing her worried expression. _" Why is she so worried?"_ he thought, concerned. _" I'm here, I'll take care of her!"_ He growled to himself. _" You moron! Why do you think you have to take care of her?! She's just worried, that never hurt anyone!"_ he continued walking, but now he was angry at himself.

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They continued walking through the woods. By sunset, they had reached the other side, and saw a village off in the distance. Kagome smiled at seeing it. " Hey, look, a village!" she exclaimed. " Maybe we could stay the night there, and have a nice hot meal!"

Sango nodded. " Maybe they will have a hot spring, too!" she added, " I could really enjoy a nice hot bath about now."

Moroku grinned, but Inuyasha interrupted before he could speak up. " Don't get your hopes up," he replied, " It may appear to be close by, but it's out of the way. We'll set up out here again tonight."

" C'mon, Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, stepping forward, " I would really appreciate it if you would let us stay under a roof tonight! Even if it _is_ out of the way, it isn't _that_ far out of our way! What do you say?"

He scoffed. " We don't need a roof over our heads," he replied, " Forget it."

Kagome groaned. " You're hopeless!" she sighed angrily. " Can't you just give in for one night?!"

" I've agreed to your suggestions several times before," he replied, " I'm sick of giving in!"

" You don't give in nearly as much as you think!" she said.

" Wanna bet?!" he asked.

Sango looked around. " I hate to interrupt," she said, " But something tells me that we should definately stay in the village tonight. I do not think our little friends abandoned us after our last encounter."

The couple stopped squabbling for a moment, looking at Sango with puzzled expressions. Moroku looked at the path behind them.

" I agree." he replied, " Inuyasha, it is foolish to stay out here again tonight. We all need rest, and I think it is safer to stay inside the village."

Inuyasha scoffed again. " Fine," he groaned. " We'll stay in the village tonight." He began to lead the way.

_" Inuyasha..._" Kagome thought, _" Why don't you want to stay in the village??"_ She sighed, and followed the others.

Shippo noticed Kagome's sigh, and thought, _" I wonder why Kagome always gets that far away look? I hope she's okay..."_ He followed beside her.

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Thanks to Moroku's 'foresight', the gang managed to get outstanding lodgings, and they had just finished a meal fit for an emperor. Kilala curled up in a comfortable corner to sleep, while everyone else went outside to see the hot spring. Sango and Shippo got in, followed by Kagome. The three were settling in well. Sango closed her eyes.

" Now _this_ is what I call a hot spring..." she sighed, content.

" Mmm-hmm!" Shippo agreed.

Kagome smiled, and looked over at Inuyasha, who was sitting up in a tree, looking at the stars. " Come join us, Inuyasha!" she called.

He looked down at them for a brief moment, then looked away. " No thanks!" he shouted back, " I'm not interested!"

Kagome sighed. _" Grumpy again..."_ she thought. " You're missing out!" she shouted. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her leg.

" **Gyah!**" she cried, jumping out of the water.

Inuyasha heard, and jumped down. " What is it?!" he asked, suddenly realizing that Kagome was clotheless. He quickly turned away, blushing furiously.

Kagome didn't notice-she was too busy grabbing a towel, while glaring at Moroku. " What was that for, you creep?!" she yelled.

" Forgive me, Kagome," he replied smoothly, " I was merely trying to be friendly."

Inuyasha glared angrily at Moroku. " Yeah, right, you perverted bastard!" he exclaimed. " I thought I told you a long time ago never to lay a hand on Kagome!"

It was Kagome's turn to blush. _" Inuyasha...maybe he **does** care..."_ she thought tenderly.

" Oh, right." Moroku replied. " I thought you may have forgotten about that long ago, since Kagome is not as much of a concern to you as the lady priestess, Kikyo; but it is clear now that you are indeed in love with Kagome."

Both Inuyasha and Kagome blushed bright red now, and Inuyasha yelled, " You've lost your mind, monk!"

Kagome sighed. _" Guess I was wrong **again**..."_ she thought, disappointed. She slipped back into the water before he noticed.

" Why do you say that?" Moroku asked.

Inuyasha scoffed. " I don't have to tell you anything." he replied, " Now, if you'll excuse me..." he said, leaping back onto his perch in the tree.

Kagome slipped under the water for a moment, feeling the warmth come all over her. But, she couldn't relax anymore. She surfaced, and, sighing weakly, picked up her towel, and got back out. The three others in the hot spring noticed, and Sango sat up.

" Kagome?" she asked, " Where are you going?"

" I'm going to go to sleep now." she replied, waving at them as she walked. " I'll see you all in the morning."

Moroku watched her, a bit puzzled for a moment. Then, he looked up in the tree where Inuyasha sat, and noticed he was watching her as well. _" He's hiding the truth..."_ he thought, sitting back once more.

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Kagome tried to fall asleep, but it was difficult. She kept having the same dream that had been haunting her over and over again. She had come to recognize it almost immediately, but she still didn't understand _why_ she was having the dream.

As she slept, the dream going through her mind once more, someone sat next to her, watching. They watched as she tossed and turned uneasily. They saw the expression of grief on her face. They saw the tears roll onto her pillow.

Suddenly, her eyes opened, and she saw a blurred figure sitting by her. She shot up. " Who?!" she cried, panicked. Her vision cleared; now she could see. It was...

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Author's note: So far, in my works, I enjoy ending each chapter with a cliffhanger. Most everyone who read my last fanfiction (Dedicated To You) enjoyed having the suspense of a cliffhanger ending the chapters, but I wanted to know if the readers of this fic enjoy them as well. So...input, please. What do you think? Cliffhangers, yes, or no? Let me know! Oh, and please R&R me! So far, I have gotten three reviews for chapter two, from Danno123, cindamin, and StaryKegome. Thank you all SO MUCH for reviewing! Hope this is getting better; I think so! TTFN, Trin


	4. Kidnapping

Indecision

Chapter Four:

Disclaimer: I did not create the characters in this chapter (maybe later on I will create one ;-) )

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Kagome woke up to see Kilala sitting by her side. She sighed, both relieved and irritated. " Kilala..." she said, sitting up. " What are you doing inside?"

The creature mewed at her. She smiled faintly, and gently stroked her fur.

" At least you can't talk; then I'd have a lot to explain!" she said, grateful that it had only been Kilala. She heard a noise outside her door, and she started wondering if she had been wrong about being alone. She stood up, and started to walk to the doorway.

Sango ran into her. " Oh, I am sorry, Kagome!" she exclaimed, " I was looking for Kilala. I did not wake you, did I?"

Kagome shook her head. " How long were you outside my doorway?" she asked.

" I just got here." she replied, spying Kilala close behind. " There you are!" she exclaimed, picking her up. She looked back up at Kagome with a slightly puzzled expression. " Why do you ask?" she asked, petting Kilala's head.

Kagome froze. _" Oh, great, Kagome, just go ahead and open you big mouth!"_ she scolded herself. " No reason..." she replied. " It's just that I had heard a noise, and I wanted to make sure it was you."

" You heard a noise?" she echoed worriedly, looking behind her. " I haven't seen anything, and I don't think Kilala can smell anything..."

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Back by the hot spring, Shippo and Moroku were getting out of the water. Inuyasha continued to sit up in the tree, looking toward the hut Kagome was sleeping in.

" You know you have to admit it sooner or later, Inuyasha..." Moroku said, wrapping a towel around his waist.

Inuyasha looked down at him. " Admit what?!" he asked. _" Oh, great, what's he getting at?!?!"_

Moroku waited until Shippo ran off. " Admit that maybe Kikyo isn't as much of your concern anymore as Kagome is." he replied.

_" **Gyah!**" _he thought. He glared at the monk. " That doesn't even make sense!" he scoffed.

" You know very well it does." Moroku replied. " Tell me, do you still think of Kikyo every day?"

" Yeah." Inuyasha replied, jumping out of the tree. He crossed his arms. " So?"

" Tell me, do you think of her every moment?" he asked.

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide. " Well, I, uh..." he stammered. _" Damn!"_ he thought, _" Think of something; quick!"_ Suddenly, the reason for him to think of an excuse disappeared, as he soon found a legitimate one. " Wolves!" he said, " I can smell them on the grounds!"

Moroku quickly put on his robe (as fast as someone can possibly put one of those things on!), and grabbed his staff. " Where are they headed?!" he asked.

_" Oh, no..."_ he thought, fearing for the slightest moment that they were already too late, " They're headed toward the hut!" He started to run. _" They're after..."_

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Suddenly, Kilala's fur stood on end, and she began growling. Sango looked down at her. " Maybe I was wrong..." she said quietly, looking behind her again. Sure enough, she was proved right.

" Wolf demons again!!" she exclaimed. She reached behind her to grab her boomerang, but soon remembered that she had left it at the hot spring. " Oh, no!" she exclaimed, " Now what?!"

Kagome turned to grab her bow, but one of the wolves rushed in and snatched it away. " What's going on?!" she gasped, turning to face her foe.

" Kagome," Koga said, with a wolfish grin on his face, " Surprised to see me?"

She gasped. " It was...you?!" she exclaimed.

He laughed, picking her up. " I told you we would be soul mates, Kagome!" he said, putting her over his shoulder. He started to walk out the door, when Sango stepped in front of it.

" I may not have my boomerang," she said angrily, " But I will not allow you to take Kagome away, no matter what!"

Koga pushed her aside. She started to rise, but wolves surrounded her.

" You make one move," he said, " And you'll become dog chow. My boys have been pretty starved lately." He waved casually as he started to run. " See ya!" he shouted.

Kagome looked up as he started running; just in time to see Inuyasha arrive. " **Inuyasha!!!**" she cried. _" Please...Inuyasha...don't let him take me away from you!"_

Inuyasha stared for a moment at the man running off with a helpless girl. " Kagome..." he said quietly. Suddenly, his brain kicked in, and he started chasing them. " **Kagome!!!!**" he shouted as he pursued them. _" I have to save her!" _he thought, _" I can't let Koga get away!!!"_

_" Admit that maybe Kikyo isn't as much of your concern anymore as Kagome is."_ Moroku's voice echoed through his mind.

**_" Never!!!"_** he thought, running faster.

Koga looked behind himself to see the hanyou in pursuit. He chuckled. " Hn! That mutt thinks he can keep up with me?!" he exclaimed. " I'll show him; I'm just getting warmed up!" Suddenly, he sped up, and, before Kagome realized what he had done, Inuyasha was out of sight.

" **No!**" she cried, trying to slide out of his grip, but it was no use. She hung her head sadly as Koga made his way to the den.

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Inuyasha kept running. He wasn't ready to give up yet.

_" There's no way I'm giving up without a fight!"_ he thought to himself, trying to quicken his pace. It didn't work very well, but he kept trying, hoping at each corner that he would see Koga carrying Kagome, and then...._" I'll beat the shit outta that bastard..."_ he added with a smirk.

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Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is really short, I've been super busy lately! I've also been thinking of writing a Kaleido Star fanfic, hopefully that'll work out okay! Anyway, I want to thank my newest reviewers:

Gracie: You finally read it!!! I'm so glad! But it's so funny that you didn't realize it was me until after I told you....:-P See ya around!

crazy-writer-girl: Thanks for the advice; you've got a point about updating! I'l do my best, though, as you can see, I didn't have one in here this time around....meaning I'm not sure how often I can update now. I'll do my best, though! Thank you!

Keyo Red-Angel-of-Hope: 8 laughs 8 Thanks! He really _can_ be a pain in the ass, can't he? I love him anyway!

PisxiePam: 8 laughs again 8 Glad you like the story, and thanks for another tip about cliffhangers ( I seem to get a lot of those :-P)

Kagome( ) ROFL I know, I know, but I'm still writing! I'll try and update often...

LYL! Trin


	5. Rescue From the Wolves' Den

Indecision

Chapter Five: Rescue from the Wolves' Den

Disclaimer: I didn't create Kagome! I didn't create Inuyasha! I didn't create ANY of these awesome characters (Oh, and I didn't create stupid Koga either.)

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Sango ran in the same direction she had seen Koga run. She had been running for a little while, and she was growing a bit tired. But, she was too angry to stop running. _" When I find that Koga, he'll have hell to pay for kidnapping my friend!"_ she thought, panting slightly. Suddenly, she felt something coming toward her. Stopping, she turned quickly, grasping the handle on her weapon. She came face to face with Kilala, whom was carrying Moroku and Shippo.

" Sango!" Moroku said, " Get on!"

Sango jumped onto Kilala's back. " Thank you!" she said, smiling momentarily. Then, she glared at the road ahead. " Kilala!" she commanded, " Let's go find Kagome!"

Kilala jumped into the air, and continued to follow the path ahead.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was ahead of them, running faster than he had run before. _" I'm not letting him get away this time!"_ he thought, _" No one is gonna stop me from killing him once and for all! He's gonna pay for kidnapping Kagome like that!"_ As he ran, he focused on the path ahead, but Moroku's words still echoed through his mind. No matter how hard he tried to drown out the words, they always came back louder and louder, refusing to be put to rest.

_" Admit that Kikyo isn't as much of your concern anymore as Kagome is, Inuyasha..."_ Moroku had said. Then, almost as if it had happened, the voice added, _" Admit that you are really in love with Kagome!"_

Inuyasha growled. _" Yeah, RIGHT!_" he thought angrily, _" Like I would ever say that! Why did I even think of it, anyway?!"_ He sped up, drawing ever closer to the wolves' den.

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At the den, Koga had set Kagome down on his bed. She tried again to hit him, but since they had arrived, she had proved a challenge, and Koga had decided to tie her up until she calmed down.

" You've always been a fiesty one," he chuckled, brushing his hand against her cheek. " But don't you worry; you'll learn yet." He pushed her down, and started walking outside.

Kagome glared angrily at him, and thought to herself, _" Ooh, if I get myself untied, I'll-"_ She stopped, realizing that she couldn't really do much on her own. He still had jewel shards embedded in his arm and legs; she wouldn't stand a chance trying to fight him, or run away. She sighed sadly. _" Inuyasha..._" she thought, staring outside, where the sun had almost completely disappeared below the horizon. _" Please come find me soon!"_ Suddenly, as she sat up, she was surrounded by half the males in the pack. She froze. " Gyah!" she cried.

" This one looks tasty!" one of them exclaimed, licking his chops, " I call the legs!"

_" Not again!"_ she thought, worried.

As they surrounded her, arguing amongst themselves about whom would get which part, it seemed for a moment like her life would end right there, with no one around her that she cared about. Suddenly, a loud growl silenced the pack, and sent them running. Kagome looked up hopefully. _" Inuyasha!!"_ she thought happily, but her hopes soon disipated. She looked up and saw Koga standing in front of her, threatening anyone who would lay so much as a finger on her.

" I will rip up any of you, limb for limb!" he barked. " Got it?!"

They all nodded fearfully, and scattered into different parts of the den. When he had made sure they were all scared, he turned around and grinned at Kagome.

" So, Kagome, are you ready now?" he asked eagerly.

She sat back slightly. " For what?!" she asked, worried.

He laughed at her. " You know what!" he replied. " I told you you would be my mate, and now that you have rested some from our journey it is time for our ceremony."

Kagome grew wide-eyed with terror. " **What?!**" she gasped. " I'll never be your mate!" She glared at him angrily, wishing the ropes would release her.

He laughed at her again, and made her stand. " It doesn't matter how you feel now," he said smoothly, " 'Cause someday you'll learn to respect me, and that's all that matters. Now, come on!" He pulled her outside by the bounds on her wrists.

Kagome tried frantically to pull away from him, but it was impossible. She just wasn't strong enough. Tears started to travel down her cheeks, as she thought to herself, _" I'll never get to see him again...I'll never...get to tell Inuyasha...that I...love him..."_

Suddenly, she felt salvation as a voice echoed through the air, " You get your damn paws off of Kagome **right now!!!**"

She looked up, her face flushed. Across from her he stood, a sudden breeze blowing his hair. Inuyasha pulled the Tetusaiga from it's sheath, and gave Koga a hard stare.

" Inuyasha!" she cried, both happy and terrified.

When he looked at the sad maiden whom had appeared from behind Koga, he felt something he couldn't describe. He was sad for her, afraid for her...yet, overjoyed to see her. He didn't understand it, but he decided to ignore it for now. He gripped the Tetusaiga firmly, and repeated his threat. " Let Kagome go **now!" **he said icily. Then, with a cocky grin, he added, " Unless, of course, you **want** me to kill you."

Koga scoffed, and pushed Kagome to the ground. She landed hard on her back, with a soft thud. The wind was knocked out of her, but she would be fine. Still, it was enough to piss Inuyasha off.

" Death it is, then," he growled, his opportunity arisen, " Don't say I didn't warn you."

Koga laughed at him. " I thought I taught you a lesson last time we met, mutt," he scoffed, " Though, perhaps I shouldn't have let you off so easy. I won't make the same mistake again."

" Don't worry," Inuyasha replied, running toward him, " I won't let you live long enough!" He lunged at Koga, but he dodged the attack.

" You'll never learn, will you?!" he said, coming back at him with a hard right punch, " I'm too fast for ya, mutt-face."

The blow was pretty harsh, but it was only bad enough to make Inuyasha even angrier. " You're really staring to tick me off!" he said, swinging the Tetusaiga at him again.

He dodged it once more, laughing as he punched the hanyou in the stomach.

As the two had been fighting, Kagome had found a sharp rock to cut her bounds. " Almost got it..." she said to herself softly, cutting the last cord. " Got it!" she said happily.

Koga hadn't noticed. " Just face it!" he chuckled, staring Inuyasha down." You'll never win!"

He fell to the ground momentarily, holding his stomach. Koga continued laughing, while Kagome cried out, " Inuyasha! Watch out!"

He looked up just in time to see Koga coming at him again. He barely dodged the attack, and looked up at his challenger. " Dodge this." he muttered, as he searched for the place where the swirling winds collided. Then, he used his Wind Scar attack on Koga. Usually, Koga would sense the danger, and retreat, but he had been caught off guard this time. He couldn't handle the blow, and he soon fell to the ground, dead.

Kagome stood up, and slowly walked to her savior. He looked up at her, and smiled. That stopped her in her tracks. _" That's weird..."_ she thought, _" He doesn't usually smile like that! What's going on?"_

" Kagome," he said, almost gently, " Are you okay?"

Now Kagome felt weird. She nodded. " Yeah, I'm fine, Inuyasha..." she replied slowly. " What about you?"

He laughed. " Hardly a bruise." he replied, walking up to her. " So..." his demeanor changed. " Did that bastard do anything to you?!" He grabbed her hand, and checked her right arm.

" I told you I'm fine!" she snapped, " Just a little stressed out right now."

He glared at her. " What, were you starting to enjoy his hospitality so soon?" he asked sarcastically.

" Oh, yeah, I really would have, too!" she replied, but he didn't seem to catch the sarcasm in her voice.

" **What?!**" he exclaimed, " How could you possibly like that creep?!"

She put her hands on her hips, and glared at him. " I was kidding," she replied, " You couldn't even tell??"

_" I was worried for a moment!"_ he thought, saying aloud, " Hn! Women."

" **Inuyasha!**" she said angrily, and he recognized the tone immediately.

" Kagome, wait!" he started, " I saved you! Kagome, don't-!"

_" Too late now,_" she thought, _" I can't go easy on him this time; it's too suspicious."_ " **Sit**, boy!!" she commanded him.

Inuyasha slammed into the ground. He growled at her. " **This** is the thanks I get?!" he asked angrily.

" I **would** have thanked you, but you had to go and ruin the moment!" she exclaimed._ " Not that I could have thanked you the way I wanted..."_ she added thoughtfully, blushing.

Lucky for Kagome, Inuyasha's face was still buried in the dirt, so he couldn't see her near crimson face. " Oh, so now you're going to blame this on me?!" he exclaimed, " You can forget about me saving you next time!"

She stomped her foot. " Fine!" she said, " Then you can forget about me helping you!"

Suddenly, a voice shouted, " Kagome! Inuyasha!"

Kagome turned to face Sango, who was riding Kilala. Following closely behind her were Shippo and Moroku, riding on Hachi.

Inuyasha sat up, finally released from the command. His face was still a bit dirty.

Kagome turned around again to see him as he sat up, and felt her knees grow slightly weak as his amber eyes met hers. But, he was glaring at her. At least, that was her impression.

Inuyasha looked into Kagome's eyes for a brief moment. He knew he must've still appeared angry, but he actually didn't feel angry anymore. He quickly looked away, though, reminding himself that the others were there. _" You moron!"_ he thought, _" Why were you even looking in her eyes in the first place?!"_ But he paused slightly, thinking of how soft and kind her brown eyes had seemed. _" Almost the way Kikyo's used to be..."_ he added thoughtfully. _" Though, now they're cold and lifeless, and so is she."_

" Inuyasha?" a voice said, interrupting his thoughts.

He looked up, and saw Shippo standing next to him.

" Are you okay, Inuyasha?!" he asked, jumping up on his head. He started pulling on his ears. " Snap out of it!!" he insisted, and the hanyou irritably pulled the little fox child off by the collar.

" Whaddaya think you're doing?" he asked, glaring at him evilly.

Shippo looked at him innocently. " You were spaced out," he said, " I thought you might have been under a spell!"

" Hn!" he replied, " Yeah, right!"

Sango looked at the now dead Koga, whom was laying on the ground, eyes closed. " What a sad end..." she said quietly. Then, she looked at Inuyasha. _" He actually finished him off this time..." _she thought, _" ...Why?"_

Inuyasha wiped the dirt off of his face, and looked out towards the horizon. " Did you get the jewel shards from him?" he asked Kagome.

She shook her head, and he scoffed, taking them himself. She sighed.

_" That's a bit disrespectful..."_ she thought pitifully, _" His body isn't even cold yet..."_

Inuyasha stood up again. " Let's go." he said.

The others nodded. Inuyasha and Kagome jumped onto Hachi with Moroku and Shippo, while Sango got back on Kilala's back.

" We still have some time before sunset," Moroku said, " We should find a place to set up camp for the night."

" Hn." Inuyasha scoffed, " We've hardly made any progress since yesterday!"

" True, but we all need rest," the monk replied wisely, " Kagome most of all."

_" She must be exhausted..."_ the hanyou thought, looking at her. _" She's been tired a lot lately. I wonder what's wrong?"_ He scoffed silently at himself. _" She's fine! I shouldn't worry about her! What's there to worry about, anyway?"_ But, despite how hard he fought it, he knew he was still concerned about her. So, they set up camp for the night.

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Author's Note: Whoa....can you believe Koga's actually **dead**?!?! Spooky....well, I never really liked him anyway! O.o Anyway, time for me to thank my newest reviewers!

StaryKegome: Glad your still enjoying the fic! I'm sure we all knew that loser Koga was behind all this. Keep on reading!

crazy-writer-girl: O.O **I LOATHE KOGA SO MUCH!!!!** How could you possibly think I love him?!?!?! I love Inuyasha!!!!!!!!!!! O.O Oh, and thanks for the compliment; I hope to see more of your reviews as the story grows.

Keyo-Red Angel of Hope: 8 laughs 8 Yeah, I agree! Nice to have a fan who's just getting to love the anime! Kepp on reading, okay?

SYS!!! Trin


	6. A Slight Change of Heart

Indecision

Chapter Six: A slight change of heart

Disclaimer: The only thing I created was this silly little storyline. I do not own any of the characters.

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Everyone was asleep, except for Inuyasha. He sat up once again in a tree, keeping an eye out. After a moment, though, he heard a noise come from one of the sleeping bags. He stealthily jumped down, and saw Kagome tossing and turning. He sat down by her, and watched silently.

_" What could she be dreaming about?"_ he thought, seeing a panicked look on her face.

_Kagome was in the middle of her nightmare, where Inuyasha had transformed into a full demon._

" Inuyasha..." she moaned softly.

His ears perked. _" She's dreaming about me??"_ he thought, not knowing whether to be annoyed or pleased.

_He had started to walk toward her. " **I've got to stop him!**" she thought, panicked. That was when she spoke..._

" Sit!" she cried out from her sleep.

He grew wide-eyed as he slammed once again into the ground. _" What the hell?!"_ he thought, now deciding that his reaction would be 'annoyed'.

Kagome shot up, drenched in a cold sweat. She was breathing heavily, so terrified that her heart was racing, almost as if the dream had been real. She looked beside her, and saw Inuyasha face first in the earth. She gasped.

" Oh, no!" she said softly, " Don't tell me I've been talking in my sleep now!!" She quickly got out of her sleeping bag, and ran downstream. _" I'd better sit here for a while,_" she thought wisely, _" Just until Inuyasha calms down."_

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Inuyasha sat up, and growled softly. _" What the hell was she dreaming about?!"_ he thought, ticked off. _" Whatever it was, it was enough to terrify her...but why did she tell me to sit?!"_ Grumbling, he jumped back up in the tree, and continued keeping an eye out, not just for danger, but for Kagome to return. He decided that if she didn't come back soon enough, that he would have to go out looking for her.

Time passed, and Kagome still hadn't returned. The sky was slowly lightening, but it was still in it's early stages. Sighing, Inuyasha lept out of the tree, and ran downstream, looking for her.

_" Why didn't she come back?!" _he thought, a bit worried. _" Where could she have possibly gone?!"_ Suddenly, he stopped, spotting her.

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Kagome had walked downstream for a little while. " I hope he isn't mad at me..." she said softly to herself. " I didn't mean to talk in my sleep! Oh, man, he's probably gonna let me have it now!" She sighed. " Well, just as long as he's too busy being angry to ask what I was dreaming about-" She caught herself before she said anything further. " What?! Why would he even want to know?? Why did I think he would want to know?!?!" She graoned wearily, and she decided to sit down for a while. She was still so very tired, but she swore not to fall asleep until after she had returned to camp.

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Inuyasha quietly walked up to a sleeping Kagome. _" She must have been really tired!"_ he thought, refusing for once to ignore a feeling-care for someone. He carefully picked her up, and looked down at her for a moment. _" ...Kagome...why were you so afraid?"_ He made sure to watch his steps as he carried her back to camp. Thankfully for him, no one else was awake yet, and Kagome hadn't awoken. He set her carefully back in her sleeping bag, and covered her. Then, he sat in a secluded corner, not too far away from the group, and decided to get some rest before everyone else woke up. _" Maybe now we'll **both** be able to sleep..."_ he added grumpily, his eyes slowly closing.

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As dawn approached, the sunshine slowly graced the skies. Just as it started to rise, Kagome awoke, and sat up. She looked around, and realized she was back in her sleeping bag.

_" How did I...get back here??" _she thought. As she looked around, she realized that she was the only one awake. Suddenly, she took noticed of a certain area that had been unoccupied the night before. She smiled upon seeing Inuyasha, asleep. _" He must have...brought me back..."_ she thought. She felt like going up to him, and sitting beside him, but that soon made her want to reach over and play with his ears again. She blushed furiously at the thought, and thought angrily to herself, _" What's wrong with you, Kagome?? Are you crazy?! You'll wake him up for sure!" _So, she sat back, trying to think of something else instead. It was starting to work; she concentrated on what she should do about breakfast, when she noticed he began to stir.

" Hn?" she said softly, sitting up straight.

Inuyasha opened his eyes. What he saw sitting across from him made his heart skip a beat. _" Kikyo?"_ he thought, blinking a few times. Then, he saw clearly. _" Oh, it's Kagome..."_

Kagome sat still for a moment. She was actually a pretty amazing sight, though Inuyasha did his best to convince himself otherwise. Her hair was still a bit tossled from sleeping by the water, and the sun was rising beside her. The light caught her hair, and seemed to glow in her eyes. She smiled slightly at him, and his heart actually skipped another beat.

" Inuyasha?" she asked quietly, " Are you awake?"

He was temporarily frozen. _" Idiot!"_ he thought to himself, _" Forget about it!"_ He sat up, ignoring the little voice for once. " Yeah." he replied, just as quiet.

" Inuyasha..." she started.

" Yeah?" he asked.

" Did you....bring me back last night?" she asked. " I don't remember walking back."

" Oh, yeah," he replied softly, " I did."

" Why?" she asked.

" I was...worried about you being out so late..." he said slowly, " So I came out looking for you, and I found you asleep. It's safer at camp, anyway."

Her eyes slightly widened. " You were...worried about me?" she asked in disbelief. _" Is he actually going to be...sweet to me?"_ she thought, hopeful.

Too late; he was wide awake now. " Hn." he replied. " I can't let anything happen to you; then it would be a lot harder to find the jewel shards!"

Kagome sighed. _" Great,"_ she thought, _" I should've known!"_ " Oh, right..." she stammered. Then, standing, she walked over to their packs, and grabbed the bucket. " I'm going down by the water," she said, " I need to boil some water if we're going to eat any breakfast this morning!"

" Oh, great." Inuyasha replied sarcasticaly. " Maybe this time it'll taste a lot better than the last time you made breakfast!"

Kagome spun around and glared at him. " **Inuyasha!**" she said sternly.

He sat straight up. _" Oh, great!"_ he thought. _" Not again!"_

Then, she said the dreaded words, "** Sit, boy!**"

An annoyed Kagome walked to the water, leaving a very upset Inuyasha, whom had been slammed into the ground once more.

Sango, Shippo, and Moroku had all been awakened by the sound of the hanyou slamming into the dirt. They all sat up, opening their eyes. Sango yawned, while Shippo rubbed his eyes. Moroku looked at the new crater, and sighed.

" Well, now I know what today's forecast is..." he said. " Irritable, with a slight chance of severe arguments."

Sango looked at him. " What on earth are you talking about, Moroku?" she asked, confused.

" Oh, nothing." he replied, getting up.

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After breakfast, the gang set out once more to look for shards of the Shikon Jewel. As they walked, there was an awkward silence. Kagome sighed. _" This is uncomfortable..."_ she thought. _" It's almost as bad as when I get a bad test score, and I have to break the news to..."_ Suddenly, she gasped. " Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, and everyone stopped. They all looked at her expectantly.

" What is it, Kagome?" Shippo asked.

" What's today??" she asked, panicked.

" Friday," Sango replied, " Why?"

Kagome hung her head in shame. " Oh, no!" she cried. " I was supposed to go to school today for an important test!!"

Inuyasha scoffed. " Hn. Well, finding shards of the Shikon Jewel is more important than some test." he said, " Now, come on." He started walking again.

" Inuyasha, this is important!" she exclaimed. " Please, I have to go to the well!"

The hanyou groaned. " Fine," he snapped, " But don't expect us to wait around for you."

" Thank you so much, Inuyasha!" she said, running off.

" Thankfully for Kagome, the well is nearby." Moroku observed, " So she will not have to go very far."

Inuyasha sniffed. " Yeah, whatever." he replied, pretending not to care. But, then he decided to change direction. " I guess we at least have to follow her to the well." he moaned. " After all, if she runs into trouble on the way, and she doesn't have any help, then we've lost a jewel detector."

Sango glared at him. " You know very well that's not the only reason she'll be missed!" she exclaimed wickedly.

Inuyasha stepped back. _" **Gyah!**" _he thought, panicking slightly. " Hn." he replied aloud, quickly becoming calm. " Yeah, right, you know I have other things on my mind."

" Yeah, right." Sango muttered, walking ahead of him.

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Kagome jumped down the well, returning to her family's shrine. When she arrived back in her time, she clumbed up the ladder inside the well, and ran outside.

" I've got to hurry and get my books!" she gasped, running extremely fast. She shot into the house, through the hallway, into her room. Grabbing her school bag, she ran back outside, and hurried off to school.

" Bye, Grandpa!" she shouted as she ran out.

A very confused and startled Grandfather stood on the steps of the shrine, broom in hand. " Wha?" he mumbled. " Bye, Kagome!" he shouted back, not knowing if he had actually seen her run past him or not.

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At the end of the day, Kagome rushed out of her last class. " Gotta go, bye!" she said to her friends as she bolted to the door.

" Oh, no you don't!" they exclaimed.

One of them grabbed her. " You've been out sick for ages, Kagome!" she said, " We don't ever get to talk anymore!"

" Yeah!" the others agreed.

Kagome pulled her hand away. " I know," she replied, " But I really need to be going now. I'm already late!"

She started to head out the door, when she ran into someone. She ignored them, and ran out into the hallway, making a quick escape.

It was the hottest guy in her school; he wanted to ask her out again. But, she ran off too quickly. Her friends stood in the classroom, shaking their heads. " That girl will never learn..." they sighed.

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Kagome made it back to the well in record time, and, throwing her school bag in a corner, jumped back down it, traveling back to the warring era.

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When she arrived, she climbed back up, trying to guess at how far everyone had traveled. But, to her surprise, when she reached the top, everyone was already there.

" You...waited for me?" she asked.

" Yep!" Sango replied. " It took a little convincing, but we decided you wouldn't be gone for too long."

" How did you know?" she asked, sitting down next to Kilala.

" You stay here a lot longer than you used to, Kagome." Shippo replied.

" It's almost as if you never leave." Moroku added.

Kagome gasped. " Really?" she asked. _" I wonder what it would be like...if I really lived here..."_ she thought. The thought seemed nice; it warmed her heart. Looking around at all of her friends, she wondered why she even went back when she did. _" Oh...because I'd miss Mom and Grandpa and my little brother..."_ she realized. She frowned slightly for a moment, then looked up, and smiled.

" That sounds...really nice..." she said thoughtfully. Though, the looks she was getting were bothering her. Everyone was staring.

" What??" she asked, worried. " What??!!"

" Nothing..." Sango replied. Then, standing, she said, " Say, how about I make dinner tonight?" she asked.

" That sound good!" Kagome replied, a bit relieved.

" Yeah!" Shippo pipped in.

" Okay, then!" Sango said happily. " Now," she pointed to Moroku and Inuyasha, " You two go get firewood!"

" Why do we have to get it?!' Inuyasha complained, " Kagome and Shippo are just as good at gathering firewood as we are! Besides, I'm tired from the battles we've done!"

" We didn't battle anything at all today!" Sango exclaimed, " Besides, Kagome and Shippo always get the firewood. Now, GO!"

An obediant Moroku and a whining Inuyasha went out and gathered firewood. Not much later, the gang was sitting down to a nice meal, and they all soon fell asleep.

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Author's Note: Crappy ending to this chapter, huh?! 8 laughs 8 Yeah, well, too bad, because this is the second chapter in a row I've written today, and my mind is now officially shot! 8 sighs 8 Well, no reviewers will be specifically thanked in this chapter, because the newest reviews are taken care of in Chapter 5! So, thanks again to all of you whom have reviewed (or been reading) since the beginning. TTFN!!! Trin


	7. True concern, true emotion

Indecision

Chapter Seven: True Concern, True Emotion

Disclaimer: I am a mere fictionist, and didn't create any of these awesome, brilliant, lovable (YEAH!!) characters.

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Kagome sat up, terrified. _" When will it stop?!"_ she thought, breathing heavily. She had just had the same nightmare _again_, and it was really starting to concern her. _" I've been having this nightmare for months now, and it still won't go away! What could it mean??"_

Once again, Inuyasha was watching her from above, wondering why she was awake. He studied her carefully, trying to see if there was a hint of why she couldn't sleep. It was already obvious that she was having bad dreams, but the question was; what could be so terrifying? And why did it happen every night?

_" Kagome...why won't you tell anyone that something's wrong?"_ he thought, concerned. He hated seeing the same thing every night; hated hearing her muttering nonsense in a frightened tone. Especially when the utter nonsense was yet another sit command. He had gone through a lot of them lately, since he was wide awake when she spoke. _" What's scaring you so much?"_ For once in a long time, he forgot to be indignant, and felt pure worry for the girl below him; felt an emotion he still had not found the name for. He waited patiently for her to fall back asleep, and jumped out of the tree. He landed by her side, and that was where he stayed for the rest of the night.

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Kagome was running once again in her dream, frightened that Inuyasha was chasing her, ready to slit her throat with his claws. As she ran, she thought to herself, _" Why is he doing this? Why does he want to kill me??"_ Suddenly, she saw a figure ahead of her. " Help!" she cried, waving at them. " Please," she begged, " Help us!" _" Why am I asking for help for 'us'? It's not like we're both being chased!!"_

She drew closer and closer to the figure, whom was hiding in the shadows. Soon, however, the figure stepped out of the darkness, and revealed itself. When Kagome saw, she gasped. " Naraku?!!!" she exclaimed, stopping. Her mistake; her demise shortly followed at her love's hand.

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That was when Kagome woke up. She had been so frightened, she even started crying. " ...Why?" she softly asked, shaking from the fright she had just experienced. " Why are my dreams so frightening?? I don't understand...what I've done...why..." She lay back down, and cried herself quietly to sleep.

Inuyasha had picked up the scent of her tears, and suddenly felt a slight urge to cry himself. It was a very small feeling; almost imaginary, but it was really there, and it moved him. _" How pathetic!"_ he thought to himself, refusing to cry, _" I'm not the one with the problems here! Besides, it's just Kagome!"_ He froze the moment those words even entered his mind. _" Why am I being so defensive? No one can hear my thoughts...Kagome...I want to know why you're so scared..."_ His eyes started to droop, and that was when he lept out of the treetops onto the ground, and he decided to rest close by Kagome. He sat by her, and closed his eyes.

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When the sun rose, the hanyou opened his eyes. He looked to his left, and saw Kagome, whom was still asleep. Realizing that everyone would be awake soon, he lept back up into the tree before anyone might have seen him.

It was perfect timing; Shippo yawned and opened his little eyes. Sitting up, he looked at the others, whom were actually waking up as well, and he jumped up.

" Good morning!" he shouted. Then, he looked up in the trees, and saw Inuyasha. " Heya, Inuyasha!" he shouted, " Do you ever sleep?"

" Hn." was his reply, and Shippo sighed.

" Some people never change!" he muttered.

Sango, Miroku, and Kagome all sat up, rubbing their eyes sleepily. Shippo took notice, and grinned. He ran over to Kagome, and jumped into her lap.

" Kagome!" he exclaimed, " Sleep well?"

Inuyasha's ears perked up as he eagerly awaited the girl's reply.

Kagome sighed, then put on a happy smile. " Mmm-hmm!" she replied perkily, getting up. " Like a log!"

Inuyasha stared at her from his perch, though she didn't notice. _" That's a lie!_" he thought, upset. _" Why don't you tell the truth for once, Kagome, and tell us why you aren't sleeping!"_

" Is anyone hungry?" she asked warmly.

Everyone replied with a mmm-hmm, and Kagome giggled. " Great!" she replied, her expression quickly changing. " Hey, where's..." she started. It was then that she looked up in the tree, and saw Inuyasha. Their eyes met again as they had the night he saved her from Koga, and, for a brief moment, Kagome felt as if time was standing still. She smiled slightly at him, and he looked at her, almost as if he were confused. She sighed, and said, " Oh, there you are, Inuyasha! Do you want any breakfast?"

Miroku looked at Sango with what was becoming a familiar expression, and whispered to her, " Did you see that?"

" Hn?" she asked, whispering back, " You mean...yeah, I did."

" Isn't that a bit odd..." he started.

Sango nodded. " Usually, he looks away, and begins acting arrogant, but this time he didn't even look away...you don't think it's because..."

" She looks like Kikyo?" he asked, making sure he wasn't wrong. When Sango shook her head, he nodded in understanding.

_" So I was right..."_ he thought. _" I wonder how long it will take for him to admit it, at least to himself?"_

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After breakfast, the gang packed their things, and continued on their journey.

" Do you think we'll find any jewel shards today, Kagome?" Shippo asked.

Kagome shrugged. " I don't know," she replied, " Though I have a pretty good feeling about today." She kept her eyes on Inuyasha, who was ahead of her only slightly. _" Inuyasha,"_ she thought, as he stopped to sniff the air, _" Are you thinking about her? Of course you are, why wouldn't you? After all, you've always loved her, right? Even if I am her reincarnation, I can never be Kikyo, and she's all you've wanted this whole time..."_ She froze, realizing that her own words sounded similar to those that he had spoken in her nightmare...They echoed through her mind.

_" I want Kikyo back, not you.._." " _I never loved you, Kagome!" " What made you think I could ever be in love with you?!" _

Tears began to sting her eyes, and she hung her head quickly, so no one could see.

Sango looked at her friend, but kept silent. She glanced at Miroku, whom was about to speak, but the look on her face silenced him as well. Shippo started to talk, but Miroku grabbed him.

" Hey!" he exclaimed, " What's the big-" But, Miroku covered his mouth before he could finish.

" I strongly suggest that you don't say anything to Kagome right now..." he whispered.

_" Why not?"_ the little fox child asked sliently, but one look at the way Kagome was walking was all it took. It seemed that most everyone understood that she was upset about something, all except for Inuyasha, whom hadn't turned his head to make sure the gang was still close behind. Even the little flea, Miyoga, had seen how sad she was, and kept his silence.

Kagome could sense an awkward tension in the air as she walked, and, wiping her eyes dry, she looked up.

" Why is everyone so quiet?!" she asked nervously. " What's wrong?!"

" Oh, nothing, Kagome!" Sango said.

" Yeah," Shippo replied, " I'm still a little sleepy from all the walking we did yesterday."

" We didn't do _that_ much walking, you weakling!" Inuyasha complained, turning around to glare at the child.

Shippo crossed his arms. " Easy for you to say!" he replied, " Your legs are much longer than mine, you should be more considerate!"

The hanyou picked him up by the collar. " Wanna say that again?" he demanded, and Shippo sweat-dropped.

" Can't you just ignore it for once?!"" he asked, flailing around, trying to get out of Inuyasha's grasp.

" Hn." he replied, tossing him down on the ground. " Come on, now, we haven't got all day!"

Kagome sighed, and looked at the ground again. This time, he saw, and he started to feel worried again.

_" Why am I so worried?!"_ he thought, _" She's fine!"_ He silently growled at himself, and continued walking. But, the feeling wouldn't go away.

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As the day wore on, and late afternoon rolled along, everyone continued walking in silence.

_" Everyone is being so quiet..." _Kagome thought, looking up at them again. _" What's going on?"_

Miyoga spoke up. " Master," he asked, " Where exactly are we headed?"

" West," Inuyasha replied, " I've been picking up a strange scent coming from this direction. It seems somehow familiar, but I'm not exactly sure what it is."

_" I'll bet he really knows what it is,"_ Kagome thought sadly. _" I'll bet it's Kikyo, and he just doesn't want anyone to know. I'll bet-"_

Suddenly, Kagome felt something rush past her. She jumped back, and screamed. " What was _that_?!?!" she cried.

The scream made Inuyasha jump, and he quickly came to Kagome's side.

" Are you okay, Kagome?" he asked, and she immediately recognized concern in his voice. It made her shiver with delight, but she decided she would have to ignore it for now.

" I'm fine," she replied, " Just a little creeped out. What was that?"

Inuyasha sniffed the air. " It was nothing." he replied, looking up in the trees. " Just birds."

Kagome gasped, and turned to see Sango, Shippo, and Miroku staring at her oddly. Her face turned scarlet. _" Oh, great,_" she thought, _" I must have sounded so stupid!"_

" Kagome..." Sango said gently, " Are you feeling okay?"

Kagome froze. " Uh, well..." she stammered. " Yeah, of course I'm fine!" she quickly finished, chipperly, " Why wouldn't I be?"

Miroku sighed. " You've just seemed...well, not like yourself today..."

" Yeah, we're worried about you, Kagome!" Shippo added. Then, glaring up at Inuyasha, he said to him, " Aren't we, Inuyasha?!"

" Hn." he replied aloud. Inside, he thought to himself, "_You're lying again! Why won't you just admit you're not feeling well?!"_

Kagome put her hands on her hips when he replied, but she smiled as well. " I'm fine," she said quietly, " Really. That bird was just too close! Honest, I'm fine!"

Miroku sighed,and Sango said, " Even so, maybe we should stop for the day. It'll be dark soon, and we need to collect firewood before sunset."

" Right!" Kagome replied, " So, where should we stop?"

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It was late, and everyone was asleep. Everyone, that is, except for Inuyasha. He was keeping a careful eye on Kagome. He knew that if nothing had changed from all the other nights, Kagome would be having trouble sleeping, and she would be waking up soon. _" When she wakes up..._" he thought, _" I'm going to find out what's been going on once and for all!"_

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Author's Note: Ending another chapter! I want to thank my reviewers:

Keyo-Red Angel of Hope: ROFL!!!! I loved your review! Tell you sister that my good friend, CCD, is also a fan of Fluffy-chan (heehee), and tell her not to worry; he will live (or, will he??) Keep on reading!

XxXsarahXxX: 'Feh'? ...Meh. Thanks for the info, but it's kinda something I've grown attached to, using 'Hn'. I'm glad you're enjoying the fic, though. Let me know if there is anything else I'm messing up on. I hope you keep checking up on the fic!

Also, in case anyone did or didn't notice, I've been mispelling Miroku's name lately. I'm not 100 percent sure how far back it's been going (I'll check my saves), but as soon as I pinpoint all of them, I'm going to update the incorrect chapters. I'm big on good spelling, and if you ever see typos in here, then it's probably because I either didn't see it, or I didn't know it was mispelled. 8sighs8 Anyway, I'll be writing more soon! LYL, Trin


	8. Confrontation

Indecision

Chapter Eight: Confrontation

Disclaimer: I didn't create Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kilala, ANYONE in this fic, for that matter (damn!)!!

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Kagome tossed and turned uneasily, the dream replaying once again. It was only recently that her dream had become clearer, revealing Naraku, whom was watching the pursuit from the dark shadows. The wicked grin on his face, and the pain of betrayal from the man she cared so deeply for was what now awoke her in a cold sweat. She shot up, wide awake. This was becoming a nightly ritual, or, so it seemed, but Kagome was sick of it. As she tried to slow her breathing, a single tear streamed down her cheek. She asked herself the same question once more; the question she quietly asked herself every night: " Why?"

Inuyasha had seen her wake up. _" It's now or never!"_ he thought to himself, jumping down to the ground.

Kagome heard him land, despite how quiet he had been. Startled, she turned around quickly, and stared at him, dumb-founded.

" I-Inuyasha?" she asked weakly. " You're...awake?"

He walked over to her, and sat down next to her. " Kagome," he said softly, " I want to know what's wrong."

She gasped, taken aback. " What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to be innocent.

" I've been awake every night, Kagome." he replied. " I've seen you, tossing and turning. I've seen you wake up late at night, like you just did. I've even-seen you cry..." He had to stop for a moment, another human emotion was coming into play, and he needed to pause to regain composure.

Kagome noticed he was struggling with something. _" Is he....really worried about me this time?"_ she thought to herself, feeling as if it was all another dream.

" Kagome..." he said quietly, " I'm...worried about you....why can't you sleep?"

Now, her eyes grew wide. _" He's worried about me?!"_ she thought, _" This is getting really weird!" _" I..." she started, but then she paused. " I'm fine, Inuyasha," she finished weakly, " It's nothing..."

_" Forget holding back!"_ he thought angrily at himself. _" There's no time!"_ Now, he grabbed her hands, and looked her right in the eyes. " I know it's nothing!" he insisted, " Quit lying, Kagome!"

Kagome felt tears forming, and she looked down at the ground. " But....I can't tell you what it is....I'm sorry, Inuyasha." she said sadly, trying to hold the tears back a little while longer.

" Kagome!" he said again, almost begging. He pulled her into him, and put his arms around her. Now, Kagome felt _extremely_ awkward, but she also prayed she wasn't dreaming.

_" Please, let this be real!"_ she hoped silently.

He tried again. " Kagome," he said, " I remember you once told me that you wanted me to tell you when something was wrong, because that's what friends do. How can you ask me to do something like that, when you can't even do the same thing? You have to tell me, Kagome!" His arms held her tighter now, and she closed her eyes, taking in the warmth of the embrace.

_" Tell him..."_ a small voice screamed inside her. _" There's no way he can say no!"_

" I've been having...a really horrible nightmare..." she said weakly, giving in. " In the dream, we're sitting outside, staring at the stars, and suddenly..." She paused. _" I can't tell him...yet..."_ she thought. Taking a deep breath, she continued. " Suddenly, we're attacked, and..." She stopped, unable to continue; unable to hold back her tears any longer. She managed to control most of them, but a few slid down her face nonetheless.

Once again, Inuyasha could smell the salt, and he could feel the tears dampening his clothing. So, he held her even tighter, and started stroking her hair. It was like a beautiful dream, and Kagome decided she never wanted to wake up.

" I'm sorry..." she whispered, closing her eyes.

_" What am I feeling?"_ the hanyou thought, confusing himself to avoid what was becoming clearer and clearer with each passing day now-that he cared more about Kagome than he did Kikyo.

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In the morning, Kagome had a rude awakening: even as the day went on, Inuyasha treated her the way he always did. He showed no sign of compassion, no change, nothing; it was almost as if the night before had really been a dream. As the day drew to an end, she had still seen no change in him, and it made her sad.

_" Could I really have been dreaming?"_ she thought, gazing ahead at the man leading the group; his long, silver hair that seemed to glow in the evening light, his ears just barely peaking out. When he looked around, she caught a glimps of his thoughtful, golden eyes, and wondered if maybe, just maybe, the compassion and concern he had shown for her before was still hidden there, somewhere. She prayed for it; she wished that, maybe, she would see him look at her that way again.

Inuyasha glanced quickly at the girl, noticing that her eyes had been boring a hole in his back. He almost said something, but a hidden force held him back this time, and he looked away, both confused and embarrassed. _" What the hell's the matter with you?!"_ he thought angrily, _" You're acting weird!"_ He shook off the confusion and embarrassment, and continued walking. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Everyone else stopped.

" What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

" I can sense something..." he said, looking around.

" What? What is it?" Sango asked.

Kagome looked around as well, but she didn't know what she was looking for. Suddenly, she saw a serpent fly past her. She gasped.

" Look!" she cried. _" You idiot!"_ she cried at herself, _" Now Inuyasha is going to realize that-"_

Kagome didn't even get to finish her thought. " Soul snatchers!" he exclaimed, drawing the Tetusaiga from it's sheath. He started running. _" Kikyo....are you nearby?"_ he thought. For the first time, though, even he realized that it took him a moment to switch his thoughts over from Kagome to Kikyo. _" Kagome..."_ he thought. Suddenly, he realized what was going on. _" What the hell?!?!"_ he thought. _" Quit it already!"_

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Kagome stood silently for a moment, watching him run after the soul snatcher. She felt weak again, and sad. _" Thank god I didn't tell him the whole truth last night..." _she thought. _" It wouldn't have done any good, anyway! Besides, it's not like he would've professed his love to me or anything...Ah?! What am I saying?!?! Inuyasha would NEVER do anything like THAT!"_ She blushed furiously. _" Oh, why did I even think that, anyway?"_ Groaning, she ran right after him.

Sango and Miroku stared at each other momentarily.

" Did I...miss something?" Sango asked.

" I think we both did." Miroku replied.

" Hey, don't forget I'm here!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping up and down. Kilala mewed in agreement.

" Right." Sango said, looking ahead. " Let's hurry!"

The group followed the path, not too far behind.

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Inuyasha ran though the woods, thinking to himself, _" Kikyo...I've got to find you!"_ He knew how he was feeling; he knew that something had changed, but he didn't care. He would fight this as best he could; he would convince himself that he really loved Kikyo. As he continued to run, Kagome's scent grew weaker, and Kikyo's began to cloud it.

" _Hn_..._they say absence makes the heart grow fonder..."_ he thought, _" Let's see if they were right!"_ Inuyasha smirked at the thought. " Almost there!" he exclaimed, picking up the pace.

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Kagome had lost sight of Inuyasha a while ago, and she felt out of breath now. But, she refused to stop running.

_" I've got to find out what Kikyo's going to do to him!"_ she thought, trying her best not to tire out. As she ran, she could hear the others pursuing her as well, but she didn't want to stop and wait for them. _" They aren't too far behind,_" she thought. _" Besides, if we really need their help, they won't take to long to arrive!"_ Her eyes grew slightly misty at the thought of needing help.

_" We won't need help..."_she thought sadly, _" At least, Inuyasha won't. He wants to find Kikyo! Even if he....held me like he did...ooh, I need to forget about that! He probably wasn't feeling well or something! He wasn't in his right mind, or..."_ She sighed. " I wish he _did_ mean it; I wish he _did_ really care about me..." She spoke quietly, almost as if she was afraid someone else would hear. Snapping out of her deep thoughts, however, she soon realized she had stopped running. That was when she looked up, and realized she didn't have much further to go.

" Ah!" she cried, " I've got to hurry!" With that, she ran faster than she ever had run before.

Up ahead, she noticed the trees were clearing away slowly. She knew she had to be close. Sure enough, she came to a clearing, and Inuyasha and Kikyo were standing in the middle of it.

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Author's Note: Whoa, we're cutting it here! I want to thank all of my loyal readers, and anyone else that I don't know of that's enjoying the fic! Keep on readin' now! ;) Trin


	9. The Unconscious Confession

Indecision

Chapter Nine: The Unconscious Confession

Disclaimer: I didn't create any of these characters ( Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippo, Sango, Kilala, etc.)

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Kagome gasped, but slapped her hands over her mouth before she could make any loud noises. _" I can't let them know I'm here!"_ she thought, _" Who knows what could happen if I did?"_

Kikyo reached up, and touched Inuyasha's face. Kagome may have been too far away to hear, but she was good at picking up this conversation by gestures.

_" She touched him!!!"_ she thought nervously. _" She'd better not-"_ her thoughts were interrupted when she saw her fears come to action. Kikyo kissed Inuyasha gently, and Kagome held her hands tighter over her mouth. She tried her best not to shout, but she was thinking to herself, _" How dare she do that to him!!! Kikyo's gonna pay for that!"_ Suddenly, she saw Inuyasha draw close to the priestess, kiss her back, and hold her close to him.

Kagome's heart came to a dead stop. Her hands fell to her side, and tears began welling up in her eyes. " No...." she whispered.

" He...I....I should have known...."

Suddenly, she heard the others running up behind her. She snapped to attention. _" Oh, no!"_ she thought, _" Don't-"_

" Kagome!" Miroku shouted. Sango, Shippo, and he were coming up right behind her. Suddenly, Sango held out her arm to stop him.

"Huh?" he asked, confused.

Sango didn't take her eyes off of her friend standing ahead. " Leave her for a moment." she said quietly.

He stared at Sango for a moment, dumbfounded, then looked ahead at Kagome. He could tell by her disposition that this wasn't a good time.

Kagome stood, frozen. _" I-I can't move..."_ she thought. But, it wasn't because of Kikyo.

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Inuyasha had just entered the clearing, and came face to face with Kikyo. She looked at him sadly, and turned to properly face him.

" Inuyasha..." she said quietly. " Why have you come? Do you not realize that my only wish is still to see you dead?"

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment. _" Kikyo..."_ he thought. _" Why do I keep thinking about how similar you look to Kagome?"_ " Kikyo, I-" he started, but he had to stop for a moment, for fear he might have spoken the wrong name. " Kikyo," he repeated, " I know you want to see me dead, but I still care about you! Why don't you see that?"

Kikyo stood silently for a moment. Inuyasha came closer to her, and she seemed to be softening in his presence. " Kikyo..." he said gently, " I still think about you."

She seemed to be smiling, but her eyes were still lifeless and cold. The hanyou tried to look past it, but it was difficult to ignore something like that when he was staring so hard. _" I need to think about Kikyo..."_ he thought desperately. _" I'm here...with...Kikyo..."_

After that, he heard nothing Kikyo said. When the woman reached up and touched his face, he tried his best not to flinch. Her hands were cold as well, and it didn't feel right for her to be that close to him. _" It shouldn't be this way..." _he started thinking, but he quickly tossed all reasoning aside.

_" Shut up! This was how it was meant to be; it's how it should be!!"_ When he felt her lips against his, he closed his eyes. When she pulled away, he returned the kiss, but the way he had done it was almost as if he was being forced. Almost instantly after he had pulled away, he heard a voice shout out behind him.

" Kagome!"

He recognized Miroku's voice, but he jumped because of the name the monk shouted. _" Kagome?!?!?"_ he thought, letting go of Kikyo. He turned around, and saw a sad, lonely girl standing beside the trees, frozen.

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Kagome's eyes flickered with fear and embarrassment when Inuyasha looked at her. Feeling the sting of hot tears, she closed her eyes. _" Don't look at me..."_ she thought. _" I know all you see is the woman you love...all you can see is Kikyo..."_

Inuyasha forgot all about Kikyo beside him, and stepped toward Kagome. " Kagome..." he said, embarrassed.

Kagome had wrapped her arms tight around herself, almost as if she was trying to make herself invisible. " Leave me alone..." she said, almost too quiet to hear.

She may have been quiet, but not too quiet for Inuyasha's ears to pick up. He heard her cracked voice speak the words he wished he hadn't heard, and he ignored them, stepping closer.

" Kagome..." he said again, unable to say anything else for the moment.

It was then that Kagome's feet obeyed her, almost too quickly. She ran off with great speed; the fastest she had been yet.

Watching her run actually pulled a heart string, and he started to chase after her. " Kagome, wait!" he cried out, but it was another voice that froze him in his tracks.

" Inuyasha," Kikyo said icily.

His back was still turned to her as she continued to speak. " How dare you tell me you still think of me, when your concern lies with her!" she said, starting to take flight.

" I don't care what you say, Kikyo," he said, " But I promise you; I did not lie when I told you I still think about you!"

" Hn." she replied. " We shall soon see." With that, she disappeared into the night.

Inuyasha growled at himself. _" Damn!"_ he thought. _" I let her get away!"_ The problem was, he wasn't even sure whom he meant. Yes, Kikyo had left, but Kagome had run away, too, and he felt divided. Suddenly, someone spoke to him.

" Inuyasha," Miroku said, " What will you do now?"

" Hn?" he asked, turning to face him. " I don't know what you're talking about."

" Kagome's hurt," Sango answered. " I know you saw the pain in her eyes."

Inuyasha stepped back, feeling hurt himself. _" What was I thinking?!"_ he asked himself silently, _" I know now; I don't love Kikyo anymore. But, why am I feeling sick? It can't be because...of it? No!"_

" Inuyasha!" another voice commanded his attention.

Shippo was jumping up and down. " I may be a kid, but I know that when you hurt someone's feelings, you need to tell them that you're sorry! And if you don't tell Kagome you're sorry for hurting her feelings, then I'll find some way to hurt yours!!"

Inuyasha picked the child up by the collar. " Oh, yeah?" he asked cockily, " How do you think you're gonna pull that trick off?"

Shippo stared coldly at him. " I may be small," he thought, " But if you don't apologize to Kagome, I know you're gonna feel worse!!"

The hanyou's eyes grew wide with realization; the kid was right. He already felt sick, and if he didn't apologize..._" Do I really feel sick because Kagome's sad?"_ he thought. Suddenly, he tossed Shippo to the ground. Growling, he ran after Kagome, praying he wasn't too late.

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When Kagome had started running, it was so sudden that she almost tripped over her own feet. But, she was still running now, branches whipping her as she pushed ahead. She was crying now, almost as badly as when she had woken from her nightmare the night before.

" I knew he loved her!" she cried aloud, trying to protect her face from another blow. " I knew he would never give up on her! Why did I think he'd changed?! He doesn't love me..._he doesn't love me!!!!_" Suddenly, freeing herself from a gauntlet of overgrown brush and thistles, she fell to the ground, exhausted. As she tried to steady her breathing, she thought of when he had comforted her before, and then how he had acted as if nothing had happened. Tears still stung her eyes, but she willed herself to stop crying. _" Grow up, Kagome!"_ she thought. _" You've got to get a hold of yourself! This isn't your time anyway! If you and Inuyasha were meant to be, then why weren't you born in the same time?! Everything points to the same answer: It's never going to happen! Give it up!"_

Kagome sat up, and stared at the ground. " You're right..." she said weakly. " It wasn't meant to be...I was just being blind..." She sniffled slightly, but her eyes were dry now, and she didn't feel crushed anymore. She felt hollow, but her decision was that being hollow was better than blinding herself. _" I'll just go home and start over again."_ she thought, trying to convince herself it was for the best. _" Besides, Mom and Grandpa must miss me. Even my brother has to miss me! Yeah, going home and starting over again....that's the answer."_ Slowly, she tried to get up, but she was too exhausted to stand. So, instead, she lay on the ground, shivering slightly.

" I'll just rest here for a little bit..." she said quietly to herself. " Just until I have a little more strength...then, I'll go to the well, and home..." As her eyelids began to droop, she thought she heard a noise, but she dismissed it as an owl.

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Inuyasha sat in a tree above the girl, and watched her fall fast asleep. He had only arrived a moment ago, and had completely missed her new resolve.

" Kagome..." he said softly. " Why are you so upset...?" When he had made sure that she was in a deep slumber, he jumped down onto the ground, and sat next to her. Watching her as she slept, he began thinking about why he had felt so bad when he had seen her, why he felt so sick, why he had to force himself to kiss Kikyo. _" It couldn't it?"_ he thought, feeling weak. He looked up into the night's sky to make sure the new moon wasn't upon him. He had only expericenced that two weeks ago; the full moon verified such a fact. Sighing, he looked down at Kagome again, and felt his heart flutter as she shivered. " She's cold..." he said softly, feeling compelled to do something about it. Very gently, he out his arms around her, and lifted her into his lap. Looking at her face, he suddenly felt very awkward, and almost realized how he was able to kiss Kikyo. _" But I loved Kikyo!"_ he defended quickly. _" Why would I...?"_ After a moment, he held the curled up Kagome closer to him, and lightly rested his head on top of hers. _" What will you do if she wakes up?"_ he thought. _" She won't wake up."_

A small voice replied, _Yes, she will. Then what will you do? You won't push her into the ground, will you?_

_" Never!"_ he insisted.

_Then, what will you do?_

_" She won't wake up!"_

Suddenly, Kagome's voice said very softly, " Inuyasha..."

His ears perked up, and he looked down softly at the girl he was holding. " Huh?" he said very quietly, so as not to wake her.

" Inuyasha...I...." she started.

He soon realized she was talking in her sleep, but he decided to risk answering her anyway. " Yeah, Kagome?" he asked, just as softly as she had spoken.

" I love you, Inuyasha..." she replied, burying her face in his chest.

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide as she spoke those words; they were the answer to all of his confusion.

" What?" he asked softly, uncertain if he had actually heard her say what she had said.

" I love you..." she repeated.

Inuyasha was at a loss for words. He sat frozen momentarily, then he smiled faintly, and brushed a bit of hair away from her eyes.

_" Kagome..."_ he thought. _" I wasn't sure at first, but now I know....now I know that-"_

Suddenly, she flinched, and he felt her muscles tighten as her demeanor changed. She looked pained; afraid. That was when he remembered all the nights he was slammed into the ground. _" What am I doing to her in her nightmare?!"_ he thought. _" What am I doing to scare her?"_

" Glowing..." she moaned. " They're....red now..." Suddenly, she cried out, " Inuyasha!!! Please, don't!! Don't hurt me!!!"

The hanyou's eyes grew wider. He now understood; she was having a nightmare that he would become full demon, and attack her.

" But...I wouldn't ever hurt you, Kagome..." he said quietly, " I want to become full-demon to protect you! If I didn't become human every new moon, I would stay like this! I know I could use the jewel to become a full human like you, but I don't want to be weak! Kagome, I-" Suddenly, he stopped talking, as he realized that she might be waking up. He sat, motionless and silent, waiting anxiously to see if her eyes would open.

She stirred slightly, but she didn't wake up. Instead, she fell into a deep sleep once more. A bit relieved, Inuyasha leaned back into the tree behind him, and closed his eyes. He soon fell asleep as well.

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At dawn the next morning, Inuyasha woke up with the sunlight starting to shine in his eyes. He sat up. _" I fell asleep?"_ he thought, looking down in his lap to see Kagome. She would wake up soon; he was certain of it, and he gently set her back down on the ground. Brushing his hand lightly against her cheek, he smiled faintly before running through the brush.

On the other side of the clearing, he saw that Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kilala had set up camp. They were still asleep, but just as he had known with Kagome, they would awaken soon. So, he lept into a tree, and sat back, waiting for the day to begin.

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Author's Note: I'm trying to stretch this story out as best I can (trust me, this is Chapter Nine: Take Two 8 laughs 8), but I can't guarantee I can stretch it out for too much longer. We shall see, huh? ;) I only just realized that I haven't updated since chapter 6!!! I am SO SORRY for making everyone wait! Hope you enjoy it! TTFN! Trin


	10. Kagome Goes Home

Indecision

Chapter Ten: Kagome goes home

Disclaimer: Neither Kagome, nor Inuyasha, nor ANY of these wonderful, extremely awesome characters belong to me. Their copyright belongs to another.

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Kagome's nightmare had been the same, with one small exception: She felt the warmth of another the entire time she slept. It was almost as if Inuyasha had been with her. When she woke up, she puzzled over this possibility for a moment before deciding it was entirely perposturous.

_" He's in love with Kikyo!"_ she insisted, trying to make herself forget about him. _" I'll bet he's still with her now! And I know he's happy....That's enough! I'm leaving!"_ She stood up, and looked around her to get her bag, when, sddenly, she realized she had left her bag with Sango. " Oh, great!" she said aloud. " Now I have to go back!" She sighed. " It's gonna be hard, saying goodbye to all of my friends..." She started to make her way through the brush. " Sango...she's always been there for me, she's really like my best friend...And Miroku..." She paused, laughing. " He may be a bit perverted, but he's there when you need him! Even if he does a little too much to help! And Shippo..." She sighed. " Shippo is so sweet, he really wants to grow up to be big and strong. He can really be helpful a lot, too! Always there to make sure everyone's okay...even if he gets scared, he never runs away..." She stopped walking. " Like Inuyasha..." she said weakly. " He never runs away...but I'm not brave at all. I could never stay here, not when Inuyasha and Kikyo still love each other...I'm just getting in the way! I'm not running away, I'm just leaving so I don't bother them anymore!" She felt a bit pouty. " It's better this way, anyway..." She insisted sadly, finding a clearing ahead. As she came closer, she saw that the others had set up camp there. She spotted Kilala, Sango, Shippo, Miroku...but no immediate sign of Inuyasha. She sighed.

" They're all asleep..." she said quietly. " If I can get by without waking them up, then maybe I won't be so sad..." She snuck her way onto the campgrounds, and looked around carefully for her bag. Spotting it, she picked it up. Pulling out her notebook, she started writing a note. She felt bad as she wrote it, but she continued to convince herself that her actions were for the best.

When she finished writing, she started to tear the paper out of her notebook, but, on second thought, she left the entire notebook. Then, upon further reflection, she reached into her bag again, and pulled out her handkerchief. Then, closing the bag, she put the straps over her shoulders. After that was taken care of, she reached up to her neck, and felt for the chain. Finding it, she yanked it off of her neck, and held it up so she could look at the bottle one last time. The jewel shards looked beautiful in the morning light; they shimmered like sunlight itself. She smiled slightly, then wrapped it up carefully in her handkerchief. _" Now...whom to leave them with?"_ she thought to herself. _" Well...Sango, I guess...after all, the jewel did reside in her village, and since Inuyasha doesn't seem to be here-"_ As soon as she turned around, she saw him asleep at the base of the tree. She drew a sharp breath, pretending not to notice the pounding sound in her head, and the fluttering feeling in her heart. _" It isn't real, Kagome! Snap out of it!"_ she convinced herself. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the sleeping hanyou, and carefully set the parcel in his hands, which were laying in his lap. She looked at his face for a moment; peaceful, soft, almost carefree... Kagome had to break the stare; she was becoming mesmerized. She almost wished she was staying; she so deperately wanted to stay, but she refused to give herself the option. She looked around the camp one last time, and then once more at Inuyasha, before leaving her friends once more.

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Inuyasha soon felt someone pulling on his ears. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep, and began opening his eyes. " Hn..?" he said sleepily, realizing shortly that someone was sitting on his head. He reached up angrily to grab them, but as soon as his right hand reached eye level, he noticed some kind of cloth in it.

" How did I get this?" he asked quietly, sniffing it. He picked up Kagome's scent on it. " Huh?" he asked, puzzled. " Kagome's?"

" Inuyasha!!!!" Shippo whined loudly, " Wake up!!!!!" He tugged on his ears.

With his free hand, he picked the midget off his head. " Whaddaya want?!" he asked, annoyed.

" Inuyasha," Sango said panicked, " Kagome's left us!"

" What?!" he exclaimed, standing up.

Shippo had a notebook in his hand. " Look!" he cried, holding it out to him.

Inuyasha snatched it out of the child's hands. " Let me see!!" he demanded. He read the letter:

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_I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm safe now. I didn't want anyone going out to look for me, so I wrote this letter to say that I've gone home now. But, the truth is, I'm not coming back. It's best for me to be in my own time, where I belong. I know that I've been able to help with the quest for the jewel shards, but you don't really need me to find them all, not when you've. It may take longer, but I know that the jewel will be restore completely, and not by Naraku. All of you are strong enough to defeat him, if you work together! I'm just getting in everyone's way here; I see that now, and I know that you'll be happy with K. You'll be happier without me there, at least, I know that Inuyasha and better off without me messing everything up. I'm going to miss all of you, but it's better if I don't wake everyone up, and say goodbye. It would be too painful. I lo I'll always lo I'll never forget any of you, especially In you all mean so much to me. Inu Sa Inu Inuyasha, Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Miyoga, Kilala...everyone....I'm sorry._

_Kagome_

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Inuyasha tore the letter to shreads with his claws. " Dammit!" he shouted, running in the same direction as the well resided.

" What are you doing?!" Miroku asked, looking up.  
" What do you think?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, " I'm going through the well to get that damn Kagome back!"

" Why?!" Sango asked.

It took him a moment to come up with a good excuse. " She still has one of the jewel shards!" he exclaimed. " Besides, we still need her to find the other shards!"

Before anyone could say anything else, Inuyasha began running to the well.

Sango sighed. " Well, I guess now he's really mad..." she said, looking at Miroku. She gasped slightly, seeing Miroku picking up his staff.

" Wha...what are you doing?" she asked, confused.

" I'm going after him." the monk replied.

" But, why?" she asked, reaching for her boomerang.

" Because there is something he needs to know," he replied, looking at her. " Stay here with Kilala and Shippo."

At first, she seemed to ignore his words, but Sango nodded, and put her weapon down.

" Hurry." she said.

So Miroku raced through the woods, knowing that he may not make it to the well before Inuyasha, but hoping that he would get his message to him before he left the Warring Era.

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Inuyasha stood over the well, preparing to leap in.

_" That damn Kagome!"_ he thought. _" She should know better! We need her here; I need her here! What made her think she had to leave?"_ His mind searched memories of the night before, and he suddenly thought of when he had met up with Kikyo. Growling at himself, he thought, _" I have to find a way to make her come back! But, how?"_

" Inuyasha!" a voice called.

The hanyou turned around. " Huh?" he mumbled, seeing Miroku coming up to the well.

" Inuyasha!" he shouted, " Tell Kagome the truth!"

His eyes grew wide. " What?!"

Miroku stopped beside him, and tried to catch his breath. " I know the reason you want to go back and get Kagome," he said, " You can't lie forever about that. But, if you really want her to come back, _she_ needs to know why you want her to return here. She has to know the truth, Inuyasha, and you know it."

Inuyasha sniffed the air. " Hn! Yeah, right." he replied stubbornly, " The only reason I'm trying to get her back is so we can find all the jewel shards."

" Why do you want the jewel shards so badly, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

" You know why!" he replied, balling up a fist. " So I can become full-demon!"

" True, yes, " Miroku replied, " But why do you want this change so badly? Is it not because you want to protect Kagome with all of your strength?"

The hanyou grew wide-eyed, realizing that he couldn't even lie to himself this time.

" You want to protect Kagome as best you can," Miroku continued, " You want to see her safe, and happy. Is that right?"

Inuyasha thought of all the times Kagome had come close to death, and he had just barely saved her. His heart was beating rapidly every time; just as it was now.

" Think about it, Inuyasha...think again. Why do you want Kagome to come back?" Miroku wouldn't stop now. " Even if you say it is because you need to find all of the jewel shards, even if you say she has one of them still with her, it's the same answer. No matter what excuse you use, there is still the same inevitable answer. Think about it." He stopped, studying Inuyasha's expression.

Inuyasha _did_ think about it, and he came down to the same conclusion, no matter what the excuse. The monk was completely right; he knew it. Now, he had no excuse. He would have to tell her the truth, only the truth. He smirked at Miroku before jumping down the well.

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Author's Note: Ooooooooh....the truth.....what's that?? O.o 8laughs8 Eh, you most likely know it! Let's take this time to thank the awesome people that reviewed most recently:

BeccaPatty: Heehee I'm glad you're enjoying the story! It's almost finished; at least, I think....o.O

Firestorm2004: I'm glad you think so! I'll try my best to update, okay?

Keyo-Red Angel of Hope: Heehee, you're right, Kikyo must die. I hate her so much! Grrrr....LoL I'm glad you really like the fic! Keep on reading, okay??

If I missed anyone, I'm sorry! I'll keep on updating when I can, just keep R&Ring! Trin


	11. Inuyasha's Near Confession

Indecision

Chapter Eleven: Inuyasha's Near Confession

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this story.

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Inuyasha arrived on the other side of the well; in Kagome's time. Sighing, he thought to himself about what he had to do. _" I know what she said last night was a dream,"_ he thought. _" But, is it true anyway? Why would she dream about it if it wasn't true?"_

Opening the door, he stepped out of the shrine, and started to walk to the house. It was a beautiful, sunny day, almost as nice as it had been in his time. But, times had changed; the air wasn't as clear, the morning sounds were disrupted by sounds of the city, and a lot of the trees that he saw every day on the horizon were replaced with tall buildings and skyscrapers. He sighed sadly as he saw this. _" How can anyone possibly love this? Everything's been destroyed; it's almost a wasteland..."_ Trying his best to concentrate, Inuyasha walked around the house to the spot where Kagome's room was. Leaping into the tree by her window, he looked inside to see Kagome sleeping on her bed. He guessed she was still exhausted; she hadn't even crawled under the covers, or gotten changed. Opening the window, he let himself in, and sat down next to her, crossing his legs. Watching her sleep made him smile slightly. She looked peaceful, unlike the other nights.

_" Maybe her nightmares went away..._" he assumed. _" Maybe she only has them when she's with us."_

He was soon to be proven wrong; she suddenly clutched the covers tightly. A small, cracked voice said, " Don't die....please..."

Brushing the hair off of her forehead, Inuyasha asked quietly, " Who's going to die?"

Kagome's breathing became quick and shallow, and tears began to roll down her face onto the blankets. " Inuyasha...." she said, turning her head toward him. " Please....don't die!"

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_Kagome had just gotten back home. As she climbed out of the well, she suddenly felt an urge to let herself drop back down it._

_" I can't go back now!" she thought. " I just came back! Besides, what good would it do if I went back? Inuyasha is with Kikyo again; that's all he wants!" But, the feeling grew stronger. With a sigh, she let herself drop back down the well._

_When she arrived in the Warring Era, she looked around. _

_" Something isn't right..." she said quietly to herself, her attention suddenly drawn to the forrest. She walked into it, trying to figure out what this bad feeling was. The deeper into the forest she got, the worse the feeling got, until she finally realized what it was._

_" Oh, no!" she cried, thinking to herself, " Inuyasha's gravely injured!!!"_

_She began to run now, trying to find where he was. " I hope I'm not too late!" she cried._

_She ran further and further until, suddenly, she came to a clearing. What she saw there made her heart stop._

_Inuyasha clutched his chest weakly, lying on the ground. Naraku, whom had obviously fought the hanyou, and won, smirked as he faded into the shadows. _

_" You are too late," he said, " The jewel shards are mine, and the hanyou will soon be dead."_

_Kagome gasped, running into the clearing to the bleeding man. She held up his head, and looked into his eyes, pained. _

_" Inuyasha!" she cried, " Inuyasha! Can you hear me?!"_

_His eyes were glazing over, but he was still able to recognize the girl holding him. He smiled faintly. " Kagome," he said weakly, " I thought I wouldn't ever see you again..."_

_" I'm here, Inuyasha!" she said, a single tear running down her cheek. She smiled slightly. " How badly are you hurt? Can you move at all?"_

_" It's too late, Kagome." he replied, and she tried to shut the words out._

_" Don't say that!' she said weakly, trying to sound light-hearted. " We just need to get you back to Lady Kaede, and-"_

_" Kagome," he said quietly. " I have to tell you something...before I die..."_

_Kagome shook her head, another tear following the previous one. " You're not going to die!" she insisted._

_" Kagome..." he said again, but his voice was steadily growing weaker. Kagome barely heard._

_" What is it?" she asked softly._

_" I have to tell you....that..." He was fading faster than he could speak, and his eyes began to close._

_" No!" she cried out. "Don't die, please!" She held him closer, and she put her forehead against his. " Inuyasha!" she whimpered, shaking as she cried over his now cold body. " Please don't die..."_

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Kagome was shaking even now. True, the nightmare was different, but in a way, it was much worse than any of the nightmares she had ever experienced before. Her grip was tight, but not tight enough.

Inuyasha couldn't stand watching her this way; it was painful to even think of. He gently loosened the grip she had on the covers, and then lifted her into his lap. Putting his arms around her gently, he looked down at the frightened girl, whom had quickly adjusted, and began gripping his Yukata tightly. He brushed the hair out of her eyes again, but he could not look away from her. He once had thought that was because she looked like Kikyo; now, he knew the reason he was able to keep chasing Kikyo, to even come close to her was because it was _she_ that looked like Kagome. He placed his hand on her cheek, and let it rest there.

" Kagome..." he said quietly, hoping it wouldn't wake her up yet. " I'm not going to die, Kagome. Not if you're with me. But, I need you with me..."

Kagome's dream had ended, and she was waking up, but she felt warm, strong arms around her. Recognizing the feeling, she kept her eyes shut, afraid that her love would let her go if she woke up. _" I thought I didn't care anymore!"_ she thought. _" I thought that's why I left! Wait....I left because I did care...I was too hurt to stay and see him happy without me...so I left him...what have I done?!"_

Inuyasha held her a bit closer, and closed his eyes, unaware that she was now awake. " I need you, Kagome...." he said again. " I can't do anything without you....I thought you knew that. I wish you had....Kagome..."

Kagome slowly opened her eyes, and looked at him longingly. He was so close to her, she was in his arms, and he held her closer and closer by the minute. If only she could get him to do these things when he knew she was awake; if only he would say the words she wanted to hear.

Suddenly, there was a noise heard from downstairs. Inuyasha pulled away slightly, caught off guard, and he could now see a newly awakened Kagome. She smiled up at him, despite her disappointment.

" Inuyasha!" she said quietly, " I didn't think you'd come to get me."

" Wha?" he asked, confused. This wasn't like Kagome, at least, that's what he thought.

Sitting up, she pulled her hair behind her shoulders. " I'm ready to go back with you now." she said.

_" You mean...I didn't even tell her the truth...and she wants back??"_ He sniffed the air. " Hn. It's about time you woke up, anyway." he replied, standing up.

She grinned. _" He's back to his old self...but at least now I can still hope for the best..."_ Getting up, she followed him back to the well, and returned to the Warring Era.

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When they had returned, the air seemed cold, and the sun was now hiding behind cloud cover. Inuyasha helped Kagome out of the well.

_" Something is wrong..."_ he thought, sniffing the air for any hints. _" It's supposed to be morning! But, the way things look here, time passed quickly, and it's almost night time! What's going on?"_

" Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed. " Are Sango and the others nearby?"

He sniffed the air again. " No," he replied, " I can't pick up their scent at all!"

Suddenly, they heard a loud noise come from the woods. Kagome stepped back.

" What was that?!" she whimpered.

" Don't be afraid, Kagome!" Inuyasha insisted, " I'll protect you. Now, come on!" He started to run into the woods.

Kagome took a moment to catch on, and she soon began to follow him. _" What's going on?"_ she thought. _" Where is everyone?"_

As they ran, she began to have a strange feeling in her stomach, like she had been here before. _" Quit worrying!"_ she told herself,

_" We're in the woods right by the well! It should seem familiar!"_ But, when she lost sight of Inuyasha, she began to worry. She quickened her pace, and kept running ahead, unsure of what she might stumble upon.

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_" We're almost there,"_ Inuyasha thought, _" I'll be able to identify this scent as soon as I get a little closer..."_ " Hang in there a little longer, Kagome!" he shouted behind himself, " We're almost there! I can smell it!" But, there was no reply. He stopped running, and turned to see Kagome was no longer behind him. " Dammit!" he cursed himself. " I let her fall behind!"

Suddenly, a cool voice behind him said, " Why do you worry about her, Inuyasha?"

Turning around yet again, he came face to face with Kikyo. He froze; looking at her made him think of what might have happened to Kagome. _" Where are you?!"_ he thought.

Kikyo stared at him icilly, realizing that she did not have his undivided attention. " Has she blinded your eyes and your heart to me?" She stepped closer to him. " Tell me!"

" I don't have time for this!" Inuyasha said, trying to turn away, but Kikyo's piercing stare kept his feet frozen to the ground.

" I'm afraid I can't let you leave, Inuyasha." she said, " My love forbids it."

Inuyasha growled. " Don't tell me that you still care about me." he said, " If that's it, then forget about it! I'm sick of playing your games!"

" It isn't you, Inuyasha." she replied, and that seemed to hurt the hanyou, even just slightly.

" It's...not?!" he said, shocked.

" No..." she replied, caressing his face with her cold hand. " I may have cared about you when I was alive, but my love has made me realize that it wasn't real. My love for you was never real. Of course..." she added, looking away slightly. " If this is true, then it could be said that my reincarnation isn't truly in love with you, either."

" No!" Inuyasha cried, " That's not true! Kagome may be your reincarnation, but she isn't like you!"

" How do you know this?" Kikyo asked angrily. " Did she tell you that she loves you?"

" I heard her say the words!" he replied.

" But did she say them to you knowingly?" she asked.

Inuyasha paused. " I don't have to listen to you!" he shouted, trying to lift his feet off of the ground. He was frozen in place.

" You know I am right, Inuyasha..." Kikyo said, stepping back slightly. " And, now, I will introduce you to my love, whom is going to make good use of you."

Inuyasha looked behind the priestess to see a man coming out of the shadows. When the man was revealed, Inuyasha struggled to break free, but it was too late.

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Kagome kept running until she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look, and saw Inuyasha sitting on the ground. She ran over to him, grateful that he had waited for her.

" Inuyasha!" she said happily. " Why did you stop? It isn't like you to do something like that..."

Inuyasha hung his head in silence.

Kagome put her hands on her hips. " Come on now!" she said, " We've got to find the others! Inuyasha!"

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist. She stopped, and smiled slightly. " What is it?" she asked gently.

Inuyasha remained silent for a moment. Then, he looked up at her. When he did, everything came to her at once.

The woods she was standing in now.

The weird feeling she had while she was running.

Familiarity.

Red, glowing eyes that were unusual for the silver haired guardian.

_" Oh no...."_ Kagome thought sadly, gasping as Inuyasha's eyes looked up at her wickedly, now bright red instead of the beautiful gold they usually reflected.

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Author's Note: This is so much fun! Wanna thank my reviewers for the last chapter!

Firestorm2004: Thankies for the praise! I'm glad you're enoying the fic; please keep reading!

Inuyashasonly1: Definitely! He'll tell her soon, I promise.

LittleLetty: 8 laughs 8 Thanks, I think :-P I wanted to jump into the lovey dovey junk really badly about a few chapter ago (think first few) but upon further reflection, the stroy wouldn't go too far if they already knew about each other's feelings openly, so...glad ya love it, though!

misery: I know, I know it's Kirara, but I'm american. Sue me. 8 laughs 8 Don't worry about sounding rude, though, there has to be critique around here somewhere! Thanks for the pointer; if I wasn't almost done with the story, I might have actually changed the names over! Keep on reading, you and everyone else! TTFN!!! Trin


	12. We All Must Make Choices

Indecision

Chapter Twelve: We All Must Make Choices...

Disclaimer: I did not create any of the characters in this story (that's why it's a fanfic!!!! 8mumbles8Dumbass...)

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Kagome stepped back slightly, seeing Inuyasha's eyes glow red. _" Oh, no!"_ she thought, wishing that she was only dreaming again, wishing that all she had to do was open her eyes, and she would find herself in the camp, where everyone else was sound asleep. But, unfortunately, she wasn't asleep. She continued to step back, unsure of what she could do. Everytime she dreamt, it ended the same way: She would die.

_" I don't care if running won't help!"_ she thought, _" There's nothing else I can do, unless I stand here and wait for him to kill me!"_ So, she turned, and began running.

Inuyasha, currently influenced by animal instincts, as well as evil forces, chased his new prey, using only a fraction of his speed. The commands in his mind kept repeating over and over: _Torture her before you kill her_.

Kagome ran through the woods, being pelted by branches constantly. Her arms were being scratched up badly; she used them to protect her face, and her eyes. She needed to see where she was going.

_She kept running. " Inuyasha, sit!" she cried, but to no avail. The hanyou was no longer under her power, and he pursued her even more closely now, preparing for the kill._

Pieces of her dream were coming back to her. As she continued running, she tried her best to consider every bit of her nightmares, hoping to find a loophole, or something she hadn't tried before in her dreams.

_" I've got to think of something!"_ she thought, her breathing becoming labored, _" There has to be some way out of this!"_ Suddenly, her thoughts rushed to the bow and quiver strapped to her back. She shivered, and shook her head, almost being knocked down by a low-hanging branch. _" No way am I gonna kill him!"_ she thought, trying to think harder.

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Kikyo stood beside Naraku in a clearing not too far away. They waited patiently for the chase to end there, along with the demise of Kikyo's reincarnation. Kikyo first stared out to the trees, then, she averted her attention to the man beside her.

" Are you certain your plan will work, my love?" she asked. " What if she finds a way to stop him?"

There was a moment of silence before he answered. " She will never find a way," he replied, " I am sure of that."

" My love..." Kikyo started again, " Everything has worked out according to plan. Inuyasha will soon kill the girl, freeing the rest of my soul, and giving me what I have wanted for so long. Then, you will kill Inuyasha, and we will be at peace at last. What have you planned after that?"

" After the half-breed is gone, we will bring an apocolypse to this world," Naraku replied. " We will dominate all, and those whom oppose us will be slaughtered without a moment to reconsider. Soon, they will be slaves to us, and we will be the most powerful beings of this wretched planet."

Kikyo gasped, and looked back out into the woods. _" An...apocolypse?! But, everything I worked for....everything I protected when I was alive...it will all be for naught..."_ She sighed, feeling sad. But, after a moment, her demeanor changed, and she looked happily at her love, with wickedness in her eyes.

" That is a good thing," she replied, " Now, others will feel the torture that I have experienced these past moons."

So, the couple continued to wait for the hanyou and girl to clear the woods, and change everything.

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Kagome was still running, but she was exhausted, almost prepared to give up. _" I'll never be fast enough!"_ she thought. _" If I want to live, I have to....kill Inuyasha...No! I can't; I won't!! Come on, Kagome, you can think of something! You've got to!" _Suddenly, her foot hooked into a root that stuck out of the ground, and she began to fall. As she fell, everything seemed to play in slow motion, and she thought of the first time she'd had her nightmare.

_She had been running for a while, trying to keep away from the evil creature chasing her, when she tripped. As she fell onto the soil with a loud thud, she realized that the thud would most likely be the last sound she would ever hear. Her heart echoed the thud as she lay there, dazed. Her quickest reaction was to turn over, onto her back, but as soon as she did this, she came face to face with the blinded demon, and her demise came soon after._

" This is it..." she whispered to herself, closing her eyes before the fall. But, suddenly, she felt as if she was floating. Opening her eyes, she soon landed back on her feet, and, without a moment's hesitation, she began to run once again. Inuyasha growled closely behind her.

_" How did I do that?!_" she thought, confused as she tried to escape. _" I couldn't have done that!!"_

She did not know that Kikyo had controlled her fall, and that she wanted to be able to see her die.

She kept running, and just as she felt ready to pass out, she came to a clearing.

_" No..."_ she thought, gasping as she slowed down to a walk.

It was the clearing in the very end of her nightmare.

With Naraku standing on the other side, as an Emperor would sit on the other end of an arena, watching the battle between the gladiator and the beast.

Waiting to see the gladiator die.

Further observation of the evil man showed more from her dream.

_Kagome stood before the man, and gasped, seeing a soul snatcher by his side, as yet another figure came out of the shadows._..

Kikyo stood by him, smiling wickedly at Kagome, no longer pure in even the slightest fraction. Any type of holy aura that may have stayed with her had evanescenced, and the woman by this evil man's side was pure evil as well.

" Kikyo!" she exclaimed, " Why won't you see? Naraku is going to destroy everyone and everything!"

Kikyo laughed. " We can start over again," she replied, " Mankind is beyond repair; I have ensured that extermination of every living being will begin immediately after the death of Inuyasha."

" Of course," Naraku added, " That can not take place until after _you_ are dead."

Suddenly, Kagome felt a clawed hand grab her arm, and yank her hard. She turned as she flew backward, and saw Inuyasha drawing closer.

_" Is this...it?"_ she thought, the only audible sound being her heartbeat.

But, Inuyasha did not draw close to her. Instead, he drew the Tetusaiga from its sheath, and caught Naraku off-guard. Using the wind-scar, he hurt him badly, but, unfortunately, it was not enough. Naraku stumbled backward, surprised, but he soon was back on his feet, cackling. Kagome grabbed an arrow from her quiver, and aimed a shot at the over confident Naraku.

" Die Naraku!" she cried, releasing her arrow, but Kikyo stepped in the way, and took the arrow for him.

Kagome gasped in complete shock as the undead woman fell to the ground on her knees. Trembling greatly, she spoke. " You _will_ die, Inuyasha! Though, I may not be able to witness it, I shall die knowing I did what I had to." Gasping for air, her strength weakened, and she was unable to stay up any longer. Falling on the grass, she spoke her last words, " I am sorry, my love..."

Kikyo was dead.

Inuyasha growled, no longer under evil power, but his own pent up anger and rage. Still full-demon, he lashed out at Naraku again, whom was a little bit more prepared than last time. He dodged the blow, but just barely. He chuckled.

" You must do better than that!" he said cockily, " I am more powerful than you could ever imagine!" he struck out at the hanyou, but missed. Even he would never have expected that. " What?!" he exclaimed, " How?!"

Inuyasha's speed was greatly higher than Naraku's when in complete form, and he could hear movement before it actually occured. This had never before happened, but he was under the influence of a shard of the Shikon Jewel. As he had been attacking Naraku, Kagome had gotten a closer look at him, and saw the glimmer shine from his forehead. However, to her surprise, Naraku had a trick up his sleeve.

Inuyasha slashed at the man with another windscar attack, then came in close to slice at him with his claws. It was then that Naraku held out his hand, and somehow drew the jewelshard from his forehead. He fell backward to the ground, seemingly knocked out of his senses.

The evil man stood over him, holding the jewel shard in his hand. " And, now, Inuyasha," he said sadistically, beginning to glow, " To prove how utterly weak you are, I will kill you without the aid of any jewel shards!"

Every jewel fragment the man owned fell out of his body onto the ground, and were magically gathered into a small heap off to a dark corner. After every last one had fallen out, he cracked his knuckles.

" Since I am still half-demon, this should be even easier..." he said, preparing to pick him up by the collar, and run his claws through his heart.

He suddenly froze, a terrible pain spreading through his body. His eyes grew die with realization: _The girl is still alive. You never finished her off_.

He fell to the ground, even weaker than an old man, a small arrow in his back.

Kagome stood off in the distance, holding her bow.

" Never forget, Naraku," she said, " Even if it seems like you are about to win, you should never let your guard down!"

Being weakened, not just by Kagome's small arrow, but also the damage done by Inuyasha, all it took was one more arrow through the heart to finish of the evil man called Naraku.

The man whom was once a thief, the man who once was Onigumo, that evil man, now Naraku, finally perished once and for all.

Inuyasha rose, not once letting the man out of his sight.

"_ It's over!" she thought, " He's normal again!"_

Kagome ran eagerly to Inuyasha. " Inuyasha!" she cried happily, " We did it! We-"

The eyes that glared up at her remained red, and piercing.

Kagome froze. Neither removing the jewel shard nor killing Naraku had freed him. He was on his own now. Kagome's heart sank as she realized nothing could free him in time to spare her life.

_" If that's true, then..."_ she thought, walking toward him, " _Then I won't run away."_

" But, before you kill me..." she added aloud, coming closer, " I have to tell you the truth. Why I decided to help you find the jewel shards. Why I can never stay home anymore."

Inuyasha growled as she came close. Kagome didn't even stop for a second.

" The truth is, I couldn't leave because I can never stop thinking about you!" she confessed. " Even when I try to forget about you, I wonder how you're doing, what you're doing...The reason I left last time was because I thought you didn't love me. I saw you with Kikyo, and I decided that if I could forget about you this once, then I wouldn't ever think about you again, and it wouldn't hurt so much. But, it was a lie. I woke up when you were holding me, Inuyasha, and I realized that I can never forget about you. I could never lie to myself until I forgot, because I never will forget!"

She stood in front of him, looking up into the glowing eyes, thinking about the beautiful golden ones. All the times she had gone through with him ran through her memories, and she stepped into his arms, which were ready to crush her with hate.

She ignored the look of malice on his face; she smiled at him as a tear ran down her cheek.

" Inuyasha," she said softly, putting her hands on his shoulders, " I can never forget about you. I...I love you..."

Then, as what she knew would be both her first and last time, stood on the very tips of her toes, and kissed him.

The only thoughts that had run through Inuyasha's mind as she talked were, _" Lies! All lies! She is trying to make you forget! She does not care, she only wants to live! Do not grant her that wish! Kill her now!"_

The last words he had heard come from her mouth were when she had at last made her confession; the words that she had wanted to say for a long time; the words he had wanted to hear the most. When her lips met his, the evil voices vanished instantly, and the red dissipated. He saw clearly now, it was no dream what was happening. He blinked for a moment, trying to figure out what had happened. But, when the girl pulled away from him, and gasped at the sight of him returning to his natural state, decided that it wasn't important _how_ these events had come about. The only thing that matter was that they did.

Kagome stared at him, wide-eyed, and in disbelief.

_" His eyes....aren't glowing anymore!"_ she thought. _" But, how? And why? What did he hear?!"_

" Kagome..." he said softly, his arms holding her gently now. He looked deep into her eyes, and answered her confession with one of his own: " I love you, too...."

Kagome looked at him, dumbfounded for a moment. But, when he began to draw closer, she did the same, and this time they shared the kiss.

When they pulled away, Kagome grinned sheepishly. " Oh..." she said, remembering the shards still laying around, " When Naraku died, he left every jewel shard here. Look over there!"

They both looked at the small, glistening pile. Approaching it, they slowly began piecing shards together, one by one. With each new addition, the jewel began reforming, taking it's present shape. When they had gone through each shard, there were two still missing.

" We have to find the others!" Kagome said, sighing. " Without the shards from Miroku and Sango, the jewel will never be complete!"

" Yeah..." Inuyasha said. Suddenly, he began sniffing the air. " Wait, I think I smell them near..." he said, looking around. Suddenly, Sango and Kilala appeared, followed by Miroku and Shippo.

" There you are!" Kagome exclaimed. " Where were you?!?!"

" I'm not sure..." Sango replied, " There was so much fog, we couldn't see, so we had to stop for a while, and it only just cleared."

" Inuyasha!" Miroku exclaimed, " Is that not the Shikon Jewel?!?!"

" Yeah," Inuyasha replied, " But it's still missing two pieces..." he glared anxiously at the monk.

" Oh, right..." Sango said, adding her shard. It fit perfectly in the first cut in the jewel, and seemed to melt into it.

Miroku sighed, and glanced at his shard one last time. " I can't believe it's finally over..." he sighed, adding the last piece to the puzzle.

Kagome took the jewel from Inuyasha, and it began to glow. Slowly, it was fully purified, and, at last, back to it's original status.

" So..." Kagome said sadly, " I guess you're going to choose now, huh, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha glanced at her. " Hn?"

" You wanted the jewel so you could transform to a full demon, right?" she asked. " So, are you still going to?"

Inuyasha started to answer, but was stopped when he looked at Kagome more closely. There were small cuts on her upper arms; some were puncture wounds, while others were open cuts. What made him stare was the realization that they were wounds inflicted by _him._

Even with Naraku and Kikyo dead, even without a jewel shard inside him, he still was unable to control himself as a demon when he was with Kagome. The thought hurt him, and he began to consider if being a full demon was really what he wanted. He began thinking about being human instead.

_" If I was human..I would never hurt Kagome again..."_ he thought. _" But, then it would be almost impossible to protect her, too! What can I do?"_

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, a bit puzzled. He was so quiet, and she wondered what he was thinking about.

" Inuyasha?" she asked meekly.

He snapped out of his thoughts for a moment, and looked at her. His face softened, and he smiled at her. " Yeah?" he asked softly.

Sango and Miroku stared at each other, dumbfound. " What's going on between them?" their eyes said to each other.

" What are you thinking about?" she asked gently. " Don't you know what you want?"

Inuyasha reached out, and held Kagome's free hand in both of his. " I do!" he replied, " I want to be able to protect you, Kagome!"

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all grew wide eyed. " What?!?!?!" they all exclaimed.

Inuyasha ignored them. " If I became full-demon, I would be extremely powerful!" he said, " I'd be strong enough to protect you!" He paused slightly. " If I became full-human, I'd be just like you, Kagome...but I wouldn't be able to protect you...I can't let anything happen to you! But, if I'm full-demon, then I couldn't control myself, and I couldn't stand it if I hurt you..."

Kagome smiled at him. " Inuyasha, " she said kindly. " It doesn't matter to me what you decide, I love you, no matter what!"

Those words answered Inuyasha's confusion. " Then I won't change at all!" he said, determined.

" WHAT?!?!?!" Miroku exclaimed.

" Are you serious?!" Sango asked, stepping forward.

Inuyasha nodded. " If I'm one or the other, I will never be able to protect Kagome!" he said, " At least when I'm a half-breed, I have some power, but I can still control myself! I may not be extremely powerful," he added, holding Kagome closer, " But at least I can still protect you."

Kagome smiled, and hugged him. " I'm glad you decided! But, what are we going to do about the Shikon Jewel?"

They all stared down at the jewel, watching it shimmer in the moonlight.

" We'll have to protect it..." Miroku said.

" Well, it has to go back to my village!" Sango said, " That's where it came from, after all! It should go back to where it originated."

" Sango's right!" Shippo said. " I may be just a kid, but she really makes sense!"

" So we'll all stay in Sango's village?" Miroku asked.

" I can't stay!" Kagome cried.

Everyone looked at her oddly. " What?" they asked.

" Why not?" Inuyasha asked angrily, " I'll look after you, isn't that enough?!?!"

Kagome looked down at the ground. " What about my home in the future?" she asked weakly. " What about my mom, my brother, my grandpa? What about them?"

Sango put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. " You have to do what's best, Kagome." she replied. " But, never forget; the choice you make is the choice you must live with."

Kagome sighed, and tried her hardest to make her chioce.

" Kagome," Miroku said calmly, " The well will be sealed up soon. If you wish to go home, you had better decide to go soon. If you do not hurry, you won't make it back. Where ever you decide to stay will be your home permanently, you can not try to turn back."

Kagome gasped, and hung her head.

" It seems like no matter what I choose, I have to go through the well again anyway..." she said. " I have to hurry!"

She started to run, but Inuyasha called after her. " Kagome! Wait a minute!!" He chased after her to the well.

" Kagome!" he said again, having caught up with her. " Will back?"

" I...I can't promise you that I will..." she replied slowly. She looked up at him, her face slightly tear stained. " Will you stay by the well? Just for tonight?"

" Why?" he asked softly.

" Because," she replied, " If I do come back, you will see me again soon. The latest will be by morning. If I don't come back when the sun rises, the well will be sealed, and you'll know you have to go to Sango's village without any more delay. Will you wait for me tonight?"

Inuyasha paused for a moment, then nodded. Sighing, Kagome started to enter the well, but Inuyasha grabbed her hand before she could make the jump.

" Kagome," he said quietly, " Come back." He kissed her one last time before she made the jump into the well.

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Kagome ran to the house. As she ran, she looked at the skyline.

_" You can hardly even see the stars here_!" she thought sadly. "_ And the trees have been ruined! Look at all those buildings! People can live without electricity, without cable, without having to destroy nature_!" She stopped for a moment, realizing her thoughts. Now knowing her answer, she walked into her house, shutting the door behind her.

" Kagome!" her mother exclaimed, embracing her daughter as she walked in. " You were gone even longer than usual, what took you so long?"

" The well is about to seal over, Mom." she replied sadly. " By tomorrow morning no one will be able to go through it again!"

" Oh, dear..." she replied, sitting down. " That's sad news...what are you going to do?"

" Huh?" Kagome asked, looking at her mother. " What do you mean? What can I do?"

" Sweetheart," her mother said, hugging her again. " I know you love someone back there; you can't hide things like that from your mother. Even though you're only fifteen, I think you're mature enough to decide what you want to do with your life. I think, I know you'll make the best choice. But, remember, you have to stick to your decision. Whether I see you tomorrow morning or not, I'll be proud of you, and I'll still love you."

Kagome smiled. " Thank you, Mom." she replied, ready to make the most important decision of her life.

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Inuyasha sat up all night, waiting for Kagome to come back. He prayed she would come back. _" Kagome..."_ he thought. _" Please, come back."_

Now, though, the sun was rising, and the well already seemed a bit narrow.

" Kagome!" he said, realizing time was almost up. " Where the hell are you?!?! Kagome!!!"

Suddenly, a hand reached out of the well. " Maybe if you were paying attention, you'd have realized that I'm back!" Kagome scolded from inside. " I can't see; help me out!"

Inuyasha pulled her out of the well. She no longer wore her school clothing; she wore the clothing Lady Kaede once gave her when she had been injured. Her backpack was also absent, only her bow and quiver remained, and she had tied her hair back in a ribbon. She did, however, wear a locket around her neck, with pictures of her mother and her father. She had sworn never to let it go; and she didn't. When she had gained her footing, she looked at the hanyou and smiled.

" You're still sure about this?" she asked.

" About what?" Inuyasha asked, sounding like he had a long time ago.

" Staying half-human, so you can still be somewhat powerful?" she said.

" Do you want me to be a human?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head. " I want you to be happy." she replied. " Now, come on! I'll bet you the others are already to go now!"

" Right!" Inuyasha replied. They were both quiet for a moment.

" Let's go!" Kagome said, pecking his lips lightly before getting on his back. " I'll bet they have a headstart!" she added teasingly.

Inuyasha scoffed, but he was smiling. " Yeah, right!" he replied, " As if that would make any difference!" With that, he started running to the camp to meet the others, so they could travel to Sango's village, and put the Shikon Jewel to rest once more.

**_The End_**

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Time to thank all the loyal fans!!!! I'm gonna try and mention everyone who reviewed this fic-period! But, I'm gonna start with the most recent reviewers, and then thank the others who reviewed in the past.

AnimeFanatic16: I'm glad you found the fic again, but I'm sorry I ended it on ya so soon! I'm gonna write more fics again soon (maybe not Inuyasha, but we'll have to see about that 8winks8) Thank you for being my first reviewer for this fic!

Dark Angel Grace: Gracie!!! Yay! It's so cool you're beginning to understand, but it's also a shame that this is it! I hope by the time you reach this chapter, you'll finally have some understanding of Inuyasha! My number one fan, you've been here since my first fic (which is also the last one I wrote, coincidence? 8LoL8) I'm grateful for your support!!! Thank you soooo much!!

Firestorm2004: I'm glad you've been getting into the story, I hope this last chapter isn't too much of a disappointment! Thanks for reading!

BeccaPatty: Kikyo always seems to spoil things...but not anymore!!! Isn't it awesome?!?!?! Thankies for the reivews!

Keyo: Red Angel of Hope: ROFL Your betting pools are awesome! I love your sense of humor!!! I've really enjoyed reading your reviews (including your wishes to see Koga, Naraku, Sesshoumaru, and Kikyo dead; BTW I decided not to leave Sesshoumaru's fate in this fic! Sorry!) and I hope you follow my work when I begin my next fic (still working on an idea)

Inuyashasonly1: Evil cliffhanger person? I kinda like that......ah, well, the story is over! I probably get a new name, right? 8Laughs8 I hope you like the ending!

Kasatka( ): Ah, the short yet sweet R&R. It's still appreciated, though! Thankies for reading, I hope the story doesn't disappoint ya too much!

siyuri: Yeah, just when it gets really good, I end it. Isn't that peachy? Heh, hope I haven't disappointed you! Well, glad you've been reading!

vulpixfan: Cyute name! I like Vulpix (or did when I was deeply into the game) I hope you liked the fic!

Now, a quick shout out to all the other people whom R&Red me in the beginning up until now:

Danno123, cindamin, StarryKegome,Crazy-Writer-Girl, PisxiePam, Kagome, XxXSarahXxX, LittleLetty, and misery. You all RAWK!!!!! Thank you soooo much for your support!! I love all of you, thank you so much for reading!!!! Hope to see you all again!!! Trin, a.k.a. TrinForever, Trinity, or Sakura-chan


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